Crazy Little Thing Called Love
by hello-quaffle-chaser
Summary: This is a story of how Lily and James got together after the infamous event that followed the DADA O.W.L... How they went from enemies to friends to finally love... (UNEDITED AND UNBETA'D)
1. Summertime Blues

1# - Summertime blues…

Lily sighed as she finished packing up her trunk. She sat on her bed and started playing with her vibrant red hair while looking at the Gryffindor dorm room. Her green eyes moved around not really paying attention to anything – she was deep in thought.

Someone walked into the room and sat beside her. Mary McDonald, her best friend. Her pale blue eyes met Lily's and she registered that something wasn't right.

'Are you worried about your O.W.L. results? Because I'm pretty sure you'll get all O's.' Mary said, smiling.

'No, it's not that… I'm thinking about what I said to Potter that day on the Lake…' Lily admitted, sighing once more and dropping the hair.

'Oh…' said Mary. 'I thought you hated Potter… Well, after what Snape said to you, I'd rethink my hatred of people as well… The git.' She mumbled. Lily let out a small snort.

'Yes, I suppose you're right… I just feel bad about saying those things to him while he was just trying to defend me… I was completely blinded by my annoyance of him to actually realise what was happening until I arrived at the dorm room and it all hit me.' Lily said. Her eyes were now tearing.

'Oh, Lils, don't cry…'

The redhead shrugged. At that moment and flustered Emmeline Vance stormed in.

'Merlin! Merlin! Merlin!' she was muttering under her breath. Lily and Mary looked at their friend in amusement.

'Em, are you all right?'

'Yes! Oh, yes! Oh, my! Yes! Yes! You are NOT going to believe what happened!' she said, her smile growing bigger every second.

'Then, please, do share…' said Lily, cleaning her eyes.

'My hand just brushed against Remus' down in the Common Room and he turned and said "Sorry, Em…" and left!' she finished, looking at her friends probably expecting similar reactions.

'Ok… So, he called you Em…' started Mary.

'And your hand, what it?, brushed against his? Right…' Lily finished.

'Yes!'

'Sweetie, I think you're reading too much into this…' said Hestia Jones, coming out of the bathroom. The four of them, along with Marlene McKinnon had shared a dorm in the Gryffindor house for the past 5 years and they were all close friends.

'I'm not!' pouted Emmeline. 'I know he likes me, ok?'

'He's the one who doesn't know it, yet? Yeah, Potter used that one on my on… Let me think… Third year? Yep, third year.' Lily said, smiling.

Hestia and Mary laughed. Emmeline didn't.

'But it's different with Remus! He's not an arrogant toerag!'

'Why don't you ask him out, then?' suggested Hestia.

'Are you insane? I can't just ask him out!'

'Of course you can! This is 1976! Be an independent woman!' said Mary, lifting her right fist.

Lily snickered.

'Yes, otherwise, why did all those women burned their bras in the 60s?' she said. The others laughed at that again.

'Funny mood, Lils? Maybe the Potter fella is brushing off on you, eh?' asked Marlene, walking in.

'Shut up…' Lily said, blushing. Blushing? Was she crazy? Lily Evans didn't blush!

'Let's go? I really want to have breakfast before getting on the train…' said Hestia, walking out.

James Potter was silently picking on his eggs while Peter Pettigrew talked about food with enthusiasm. The Great Hall was filled with students excited about the Summer Holidays, but James was just annoyed. By the sound, the people, even by his shy little friend talking in front of him.

His hazel eyes were tired behind his glasses and he sighed.

'Are you all right?' Peter asked, finally realising that his friend wasn't really paying attention to him.

'Yes, Peter, I'm swell…' James answered, his voice filled with sarcasm.

'Is this because of…?'

'Can we not talk about this? I'm tired and I want to go home and, no offence, but I seriously do not care about what happened that day when you ate chicken strips thinking they were fish fingers…' he muttered.

'What a jolly morning!' said Sirius Black, entering the Great Hall and instantly making all the eyes fix on him.

James sighed with a smirk. His friend was insane. How could he be so excited in the morning? But then again, he hadn't been the one sad and moping for the past two weeks now.

Sirius walking to them while all the girls' eyes followed him. His long dark hair moved elegantly with the light breeze that came from the windows and his black eyes glowed with mischief.

Remus Lupin was following him. His light brown hair covering his eyes while he walking with his head bowed, trying to pretend he didn't know Sirius. It didn't work, since his friend soon pulled him by the shoulder and both of them walking side-by-side to James and Peter.

'Good morning…' said Remus.

'Morning…' said James and Peter.

'Wow, aren't you two fun and exciting?' said Sirius, rolling his eyes. He started putting eggs and bacon and literally everything he could reach on his plate. Remus decided to go with toast. 'Mate, I'm sorry and all that, but at least now you can see that you have to get over Evans!'

'Whatever…'

'Look at the bright side!' said Remus. The other three looked at him with curiosity, since Remus was never the one to look at the bright side of things. 'At least now we are going home for the summer and you don't have to bump into her in the corridors…'

'Yeah, I guess you're right…' James said. 'Wait a minute…' a smirk appeared on his lips. 'Why are you so happy and jolly?'

'Nothing…'

'Nothing! Merlin's pants it was nothing! He's all lovey dovey with Emmeline Vance!'

'Am not!'

'Yes you are! Your hands brushed and you couldn't stop smiling since!' Sirius said, imitating a girl's voice.

James and Peter's eyes went wide.

'Seriously?' asked James, smiling. 'Wow, Moony! She's pretty! Go for it, mate!'

'Yeah, she's really nice, too, you know?' said Peter.

'I know all that but it's not like I can actually do anything…'

'Oh, please don't tell me it's because of your "furry little problem"!'

'Of course it is, Prongs! The guy is insane!' said Sirius.

'Look, I don't want to ruin her life by making her go out with me, ok?'

'Mate, I'm sorry, but ruin her life? You're on of the best people I know and she'd be lucky to have you!' said James.

'Yeah, man! You're smart and funny and all that rubbish girls fall in love with!' said Sirius, smiling.

Remus sighed. 'Let's just forget about this, ok?' he looked down at his plate and started eating in silence. So did James and Peter, shaking their heads in defeat.

'Way to kill the mood, Moony…' said Sirius, almost inhaling his food. 'Don't look now, Prongs, but your lady is walking in her Remus' girlfriend.

'Sod off!' said James and Remus in unison.

To say that the holidays were boring with be an understatement.

Lily Evans was sitting on the sofa, watching some old movie and not really paying attention to it. That's why she was so excited when a small owl tapped on the window.

She quickly got the letter from the bird and gave it some water. It was from Emmeline.

_Dear Lily,_

_ How are your holidays treating you? Mine have been rather boring… Except for the part when Remus and I are writing to each other! Can you believe it? I know that Black probably forced him to write is first letter because he's so shy, but we're communicating weekly now and it's great! He's so amazing, Lils!_

_ I have to tell you something, though… He told me that he gave up his prefect position… Why do you think that is? Maybe because of his 'time of the month'… Do you reckon we should tell him we know? It's been two years! _

_ Anyway, my mum and I are planning on going to the Diagon Alley as soon as the letters arrive, do you want to join us? I invited Mary and Hestia as well, so it'll be great! _

_ Miss you!_

_ Em_

Lily smiled at the letter. Her friend matched Remus in every way and she was happy they were talking now. But her mind wandered to the prefect duties. Who would be now that Remus gave up the position? Would she be alone? Would it be one of the other Marauders. She flinched at the thought. She couldn't face Potter with the guilt that eating her alive. Lily caught herself thinking about him when she was distracted and she knew it was because she felt awful about what she had said. But what could she do? Apologize? Beg for forgiveness?

Her parents walked in and saw their daughter staring at the piece of parchment.

'Everything ok?' asked Mrs. Evans. 'You seem worried…'

'I'm good, thanks mum…' Lily said, standing up. 'How was the, uh, lunch with the Dursleys?'

'Dreadful…' said Mr. Evans.

'Charles!'

'Do you want me to lie, Claire? It was dreadful! They are awful people and Vernon's sister Marge is the worst!'

Lily laughed. Of course it had been awful. Her sister's fiancé was the sole most boring person on Earth and he was fat and annoying. His family would have to be the same.

'Sorry about that…' she said, not really sorry at all that she hadn't been invited.

Her mother laughed as well and went to the kitchen.

'Sure, you're good, Lily-petal?'

'Yeah, dad, I'm fine… Hm, Em just invited me to go with the girls to the Diagon Alley when the letter arrive, is that all right?'

'Of course it is!' said her mum from the kitchen.

'Great!' with that, Lily climbed hat stairs to answer her friend.

Elizabeth Potter was taking care of her lilies. The lilies and tulips were her favourite of the whole garden and took care of them as if they were her children. She looked over her shoulder to see her son coming back from his morning jog.

James looked awful. His eyes were always sad now, his hair was mess and he was skinnier since he just didn't feel like eating.

'Hello, pumpkin, want to have breakfast with me in the garden?' she asked, smiling at her pride and joy.

'Nah, not hungry…' he said, looking down.

'Jay-jay, you have to eat! Let's go…' she said, pulling him by the arm. She sat him down and put a plate in front of him. The table was full of delicious food their house elf Pinky had made. The Potters loved Pinky and they treated her like family, while she made delicious food for them and always blushed when they hugged her and gave her Christmas gifts. She was, in fact, a free elf who worked for payment since Mr. Potter believed that having house elves working for no money was the same as slavery.

'Mum, I'm not hungry…' he said.

'What happened this year? Were the O.W.L.s that bad?'

'They were fine. Great, actually, I just… don't feel like talking about it…'

'Please, talk to me, pumpkin… I just want to help.' She held her son's hand. They were cold like ice.

'It's Evans…'

'Oh, I see… What happened this time?'

'I just… Give up, you know? She doesn't like… She really doesn't and I'm tired of getting hurt and kicked and hexed and all that…' at this point, she saw a lone tear fall from James' eye. Her hear shrank and she couldn't believe how much her only son was suffering over this girl.

'Look, James, listen to me carefully, ok? I think you're crazy for going after this one for so long… What? Four years? But I really think this could be it and if you think so too, you have to go for it.'

'But she hates me, mum!' he looked up and his eyes was hurting.

'No, she doesn't. She doesn't even know you properly, pumpkin! You just ask her out and hope that she'll fall in love with your good looks and you arrogance, but you have to show her who you really are! A wonderful young man who is incredibly intelligent, remarkably talented and cares about the ones he loves! That's who you are! When Lily Evans with her long red hair and her beautiful green eyes sees this, she'll feel the same way you do.'

'You think so?'

Elizabeth nodded.

'You have to tone your Marauder-ism down a notch… That's all…'

James gave her a weak smile and hugged her. He had grown at least one foot during the three weeks he'd been back and was now very much taller than her.

'Thanks, mum… You're the best!'

'I know, I know… Now, go get ready because we are picking up your father at the Ministry and we are going to get you some new clothes!'

James groaned.

'Why…?'

'Because you're way taller and you need new clothes!' she said, matter-of-factly.

James pouted, grabbed a piece of toast and left, giving his mother a kiss on the cheek.


	2. Letters from Hogwarts

#2 – Letters from Hogwarts and walking throught the Alley

As Lily lay peacefully on her bed on a warm July morning, she noticed how interesting the pattern on her ceiling was. She'd never noticed it before. It was sort of flower-y and incredibly pretty. Also in a creamy colour instead of the regular white.

An hour passed and she heard a slight tapping on her window. Sitting on the sill was a beautiful brown owl and on its leg, a parchment letter with the familiar marron wax seal on it.

'HOGWARTS LETTER!' the redhead exclaimed while jumping out of bed and reaching for the bird. 'O.W.L RESULTS!' she yelled. A grumpy Petunia appeared in the threshold of her bedroom.

'Could you stop screaming, you freak? Some people are trying to sleep, if you don't mind...' she said, her voice drenching with annoyance and loathing.

'Get off your high horse, all right? I couldn't care less about your beuaty sleep because my LETTER IS HERE!' Lily said, while skipping out her room and into the kitchen where her parents were solemnly eating their breakfast.

'Up so early, darling?' asked her mum.

'Results!' Lily exclaimed once more, finally opening her letter.

_Dear Ms. Evans, _

_I am pleased to enclose your Ordinary Wizarding Levels results as well as the list of materials you will need for this fall's term. _

_Kind regards_

_Professor Minerva McGonagall _

_Deputy Head-Mistress_

Lily took out the result parchment.

_ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVELS_

_Pass Grades: _

_Outstading (O)_

_Exceeds Expectations (E)_

_Acceptable (A)_

_Fail Grades: _

_Poor (P)_

_Dreadful (D)_

_Troll (T)_

_LILY EVANS HAS ACHIEVED_

_Astronomy: O_

_Muggle Studies: O_

_Charms: O_

_Defence Agains the Dark Arts: O_

_Divination: E_

_Herbology: O_

_History of Magic: O_

_Potions: O_

_Transfiguration: E_

_Arithmancy: O_

As she finished reading her marks, Lily couldn't be more excited. They had been wonderful and she got everything she needed to become an Auror. Her smile must've been huge, because her parents seemed to be beaming with pride when she looked up from her letter.

'So..?' asked her mum, her eyes sparkling. She was really excited because Lily was the smartest of her daughters and was always certain to get good marks.

'I got eight O's and two E's! It's great!'

'I'm so proud!' her parents rushed to hug her while Petunia roled her eyes at the sight of her 'freak' sister's mail.

'Freak...' she muttered, leaving the room.

Soon they heard a noise in the louge and Emmeline Vance came throught the fireplace followed by Hestia Jones. Both of them were coughing and covered in dust.

'Hey, guys...' Lily said, lifting her eyebrow. 'What are you doing in my fireplace?'

'Floo!' exclaimed Hestia.

'I asked what not how, but thanks for the clarification, Hest...' Lily smiled.

'Uh, sarcasm... Must've gotten good marks, then?' asked Emmeline.

'Yup.' Lily nodded. 'You?'

'Not bad...' said Hestia, shrugging.

'Could've been better, but I'm not a complainer, he, he...' smiled Em. 'Let's hit the Alley, then?'

'You don't even want to know what I got?'

'All O's?'

'I got two E's, actually... Divination and Transfiguration... My worst subjects...' she said, looking down. 'Why did we take Divination again?'

Hestia snorted.

'Probably because The Marauders decided to take Runes and we didn't want to spend another class with them...' she said, smirking.

'I regret that...' said Em. 'Now I got a lousy mark and I didn't get to spend time with Remus...'

The other two laughed and Lily went to change and tell her parents she was leaving for the Alley. Mary agreed to meet them there since she lived nearby.

It was a peaceful morning in the Potters' residence. And that itself was rather unusual ever since a certain Sirius Black moved in with the noble family of three. He was loud and energetic and never seemed to shut up or tire. Pinky, the house elf, had just finished putting down the breakfast table when a very tired James Potter came down the stairs into the large kitchen. He sat down at his usual spot, on the right side of the table, next to the head, where his father sat. The boy scratched his eyes behind the glass, ruffled his unruly black hair and gave a small smile to the elf.

'Morning, Pinky..' he said in a husky voice.

'Good morning, Master James. Pinky made Master his favourite pancakes!'

'Oh, that's so nice of you, Pinky! Thank you!' he said, attacking the pancakes. The elf smiled and vanished, leaving James alone, eating his breakfast.

'Good morning, son.'

'Hey, Dad!' he said, his mouth filled with pancakes and syrup.

'Manners.'

James swallowed and smiled again.

'Sorry...'

Mr. Harold Potter smirked at his son. They had identical smiles, same type of hair – houwever Mr. Potter's were grey due to old age – and were about the same size. If you saw a picture of Harold Potter when he was seventeen there was no way of distinguishing them. Apart from the eyes. The senior Potter's were dark brown while his son's were in a light hazel and very bright. Like his mother's.

'Today is the day.' Said Mr. Potter.

'What do you mean?'

'The Hogwarts letters... They arrive today, right?'

'Oh, yeah... I'd forgotten about those...' James said, smiling. He sipped his tea – two sugars and milk, every morning – and turned to his father. 'I hope I did well... I really think I did, though.'

'Of course you did well! You're top of the class! One of the brightest young men I've ever known! Hell, I wish I had your brains when I went to Hogwarts!' he said, putting a proud hand on his son's shoulder. 'I'm very proud of you, James.'

'Let's leave the proud talk for after the letter, shall we?' said a sleepy Elizabeth Potter, walking in the kitchen. She kissed the top of the head of her son and her husband's lips and sat down. 'Morning to all!' she sang.

'Someone's happy.' Said Mr. Potter. 'What happened?'

'Oh, nothing... Just have a good feeling about today, that's all...'

'MORNING, POTTERS!' said Sirius Black, walking in the kitchen in his pajamas. 'How do you do?'

'How are you so loud and cheerful every morning?' asked Mr. Potter, covering his ears.

'We've been asking ourselves the same question for five years, Dad..' said James. 'Morning, Pads.'

'Yum, pancakes!' Sirius began attacking the pancakes while Mrs. Potter glared at him.

'Manners, boy!' she said, pinching his ear.

'Outch! Sorry!'

They heard a movement on the window and saw a dark owl carrying two envelopes.

'Letters!' exclaimed James, jumping off his seat. He got the letters and let the owl fly away.

'Where's mine?' Sirius asked. James handed it to him before looking at his.

_Dear Mr. Potter_

_I am pleased to enclose your Ordinary Wizarding Levels results as well as the list of materials you will need for this fall's term. _

_Kind regards_

_Professor Minerva McGonagall _

_Deputy Head-Mistress_

He smiled nervously and glanced at his parents before examining his results page.

_ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVELS_

_Pass Grades:_

_Outstading (O)_

_Exceeds Expectations (E)_

_Acceptable (A)_

_Fail Grades: _

_Poor (P)_

_Dreadful (D)_

_Troll (T)_

_JAMES POTTER HAS ACHIEVED_

_Astronomy: O_

_Muggle Studies: O_

_Charms: O_

_Defence Agains the Dark Arts: O_

_Study of Ancient Runes: O_

_Herbology: O_

_History of Magic: O_

_Potions: E_

_Transfiguration: O_

_Arithmancy: O_

James smiled hugely after he finished. They were great marks! He looked at his parents and nodded.

'How was it?' his mother asked, smiling fondly.

'Nine O's and one E...' he said 'Potions.'

'Ah, damn Potions...' his father laughed, hugging his son. 'I'm proud of you, my boy!'

'Me too! Me too! Wondeful!' Mrs. Potter got up and bear-hugged him.

'How about you, Sirius?'

'E for Potions and Runes, O for everything else...' he said, smiling.

'Marvellous!' said Mrs. Potter, giving her second bear hug of the day.

'You have another attatchment, son...' said Mr. Potter, looking over James' envelope.

'Let me see.'

_Dear Mr. Potter_

_ I am glad to inform you that you have been chosen as the new Prefect for the House of Gryffindor. I hope you accept this honour and continue doing a great job! _

_ Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore _

_ Grand Sorcerer_

_ Supreme Mugwump_

_ Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot_

_ Headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_P.S.: Congratulations on your O.W.L. results._

James felt Sirius reading over his shoulder. His best mate snorted.

'Dumbledore made you prefect? The old man's gone mad!' said Sirius, laughing.

'Prefect! How great! I was prefect!' exclaimed Mrs. Potter. 'You're going to have to behave this year, mister...'

James rolled his eyes. He didn't want to be prefect. However, it would give him more time with Lily so that he could show her that he wasn't such an arrogant toerag after all. He smiled.

'Perhaps this prefect thing isn't such a bad thing after all...'

'I need new robes, new books, new quills...' Hestia rambled on about everything she was going to buy while her three friends rolled their eyes.

'HEST!' Mary yelled. Hestia stopped and stared at her. 'We get it! Just... stop!'

Emmeline and Lily laughed while Hestia pouted.

'I still can't believe you got such good marks, Lily... All those waking hourse did good...' said Emmeline, examining her fingernails.

'Yeah... But at the end of History of Magic I was beat! I'm still tired! Seriously, sometimes I can totally hear O.W.L examiners in my head when I'm sleeping!'

'But still, I got like one O and nine E's and I was super happy, thinking I was the best... Then you come and get all O's and all that! You're awesome, Lils...' said Mary, smiling.

Lily blushed. 'Thanks...'

'Now to happy things! And by happy I mean Madame Malkins, and by things I mean clothes!' sang Hestia, in a high pitched squeak-y voice. They all laughed and went in to buy their new school robes.

After they were done with robes and books and supplies, the girls went to have lunch at the Leaky Cauldron. They all thought the place was a bit disturbing and kind of disgusting, but the food was indeed delicious and within their budget so there they went.

'Do you know who's the new Gryffindor prefect?' asked Mary, biting her sandwich. Lily shrugged.

'No idea... As long as it's not Black, I'll deal with it...'

'Why do you hate him so much?' asked Hestia.

'I don't hate him... He's just so loud and sleazy...' They other three snorted. It was true. Sirius Black was the loudest person ever to walk on Earth. And he was rather sleazy when it came to girls.

'At least he never tried anything with us...' said Emmeline.

'He's smart enough to know that you don't hunt so close to home...' Hestia said, winking and sipping her pumpkin juice. The other three rolled their eyes and smiled.

'What if it's Potter, though? Because he hasn't spoken to you since the Lake thing with Snape, has he?' said Emmeline.

'Oh...' Lily bowed her head, suddenly finding her salad fascinating. 'Well, dunno, right? Cause he won't talk to me so I can't apologise but I'm too proud to go and do it, so we'll just have to wait and see...'

They nodded and went silent.

'I TOTALLY FORGOT!' Hestia yelled suddenly, making the other three jump on their seats. 'You had a date with Lupin last week, you devious minx! Tell us!'

Emmeline got really red really fast and smiled.

'It was... good...' she added about twenty sylables to "good" so her friends understood. It had been amazing.

'He's a good kisser, then?' asked Mary. Em giggled.

'Perhaps... ' she winked and turned her attention to her food. Her smile grew huge.

'YEY!' exclaimed Hestia, clapping. The other two laughed and clapped as well, making Em turn even redder.

'Shut uuup..' she said, embarassed.

'You know we won't, so just go along...' said Lily, smiling at her friend who nodded.


	3. To Get it Right

#3- To Get it Right...

It was a beautiful morning in London. The sun was shining and the breeze was slightly cold.

This 1st of September was no different from the others. Muggles rushed past to get to their trains in time and Magical folk pushed their trolleys with their trunks and magical animals into the gap between platforms nine and ten.

James Potter was doing exactly it, accompanied by his parents and a very suspiciously eager-to-get-to-school Srius Black. He laughed at his best mate while going throught the barrier that separated the Muggle King's Cross from the Wizard one, where the large red Hogwarts Express awaited for the students.

'We best be off, then...' he said, hugging his mother. 'Be careful, you two.'

'Of course we will, darling! And you don't play any harmful pranks, ok? I don't want any angry letters from parents saying that their child's skins is filled with boils and all sorts...' said his mother, giving him a stern look, then smiling and kissing him on the cheek. She did the same with Sirius.

'Goodbye, son. I'll see you both on Christmas, right?'

'Yes... See you!' he hugged his father and followed Sirius to the train.

As they looked for the compartment Remus had chosen, he couldn't help but notice that girls were giving him looks that were usually saved for Sirius.

'Mate, they're looking at you too, now!' said Sirius, excitedly. 'We can double-date!'

James was never the type to go on dates. He had dated before, but never really enjoyed it. Perhaps because the girl was the dullest Ravenclaw in the History of the Universe, or perhaps because the only girl he wanted to go on a date with didn't want anything to do with him.

'No, thanks... I'm good.'

'Argh! Did you know that I hate Evans? She broke you!'

'Drop it, Padfoot... I'm not going to start dating and snogging girls senseless just because I grew a bit during the Summer...'

'And because your mum decided to give you a make-over...' Sirius barked a loud laugh. I was true, though. After he grew a foot during the first weeks of Summer, all of James' clothes were short and he had to buy new ones, so his dear mother decided that it was make-over time and that he needed to start dressing like a young men, not a teenager that only wears t-shirts and jeans.

Now, James was the proud owner of lots and lots of dress trousers – "did you know that Aurors can't wear jeans when they're on duty? It had a slacker look to it!" his mother said - ; polo shirts; dress shirts, both short sleeved and long sleeved; sweaters and ties. But he had to put his foot down when it came to shoes. When his mother saw some lovely boots on display he argued saying that he would not wear boots for the life of him and he would not end up dressing like Dumbledore. He held onto his Converse trainers as if life depended on it, so Mrs. Potter let it go. All the while his fahter was laughing at his desperate face.

'I like my new clothes... And that's not why they're looking at me... They're probably just looking at you more widely...'

Sirius snorted. 'Myabe they know you finally gave up on Evans...'

'I haven't, though, have I? Like my mum said, I have to be persistent!'

'I like to call that either stubborn or stupid.' Sirius said, finally finding the compartment where Remus read a book while Peter talked about his Summer vacation. 'Hello, children!' he announced, walking.

'You're tall!' said Remus, looking away from his book and staring at James.

'Yes, I am. What's up?'

Remus shrugged and blushed. Sirius and James looked at each other.

'How was the date with Vance?' asked Sirius in a suggestive tone.

'It was... hm... good, I guess...' his three friends started laughing at his nervousness. 'Oh, sod off!'

They didn't stop laughing until the trains started moving.

'Prongs, you have duty or something...' said Sirius, starting to breathe again.

'Oh, yeah! You're prefect now! You have to go into the prefects and Heads compartment for the meeting...' said Remus.

'Damn...' muttered James. 'Ok... See you later.'

He left the compartment with a sigh.

'Good luck on your prefects meeting!' said Emmeline, standing up with Lily and going to the doork of the compartment.

'Where are you going?' asked Hestia.

'I'm going to find Remus... Bye!' she left, leaving Lily at the door, rolling her eyes.

'She's in too deep, that one... I'll be back!' Lily said, walking out and going to the prefects meeting where she sat next to the Hufflepuff seventh year prefect, Aaron Diggory, Amos Diggory's younger brother.

'Hey, Aaron!' she said cheerfully. Lily had contemplated the idea of being the sole Gryffindor prefect and it sounded pretty cool and badass of her.

'Hey! How was you summer?'

'All right... Yours?'

'Well, there was my brother's wedding and that was it.' He chuckled.

Lily smiled. 'Give him my congratulations!'

'Will do! Hey, by the way, who's the new..? Ah, never mind. He's here.'

'What?' Lily turned around to see James Potter standing on the door. Alice Longbottom, the Head Girl, ordered him in.

'Hello everyone!' she said as James sat quietly on the other side of Aaron. 'Welcome back! Frank and I are really happy to be your Head Boy and Girl! Let's get started then!' she smiled.

Lily's eyes went wide. A rush of guilt suddenly came over her. She had managed to push it down for the rest of the Summer, but now there he was, looking so different but so much the same. He looked shy and nervous and, shall she dare, even adorable wearing those brown trousers, blue plaid shirt and black sweater. She couldn't believe that he of all Gryffindors was the new prefect. They'd have to do rounds together and talk, but he hated her now, she was sure. Lily Evans felt trapped. Than she realised that Alice had been talking the whole time.

'Okay, on a happier note, I'd like to welcome our new fifth year prefects and our newest addition since Remus Lupin left, the sixth year James Potter.' She said. James smiled at her and nodded.

'He is also our new Quidditch Captain, people!' said an excited Frank, going over to James patting him on the back.

'T-thanks...Frank...' he stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck and ruffling his untidy hair.

'All right! Frank, stop it!' said Alice, giving him a stern look and receiving a smirk in response. If there was a perfect couple, it was them, Lily always thought. They had been together since fourth year and were adorable. You couldn't think of Alice without thinking of Frank and vice versa. 'Here are your duty schedules and off you go!' she smiled at everyone.

As they left, Lily hung behind, hoping that she could talk to Potter and apologise. Aaron waved at her and went to join his Hufflepuff friends.

'Potter!' she said, catching up to him as he left.

'Yeah?' he turned around, not making a witty coment as he always did when she talked to him.

'Hm... I needed to speak with you, if that's, hm, possible...'

'Speak...' he said, waving his hand as if to tell her to continue.

'Well, about last term... That thing I said to you, I'm really deeply sorry and I exagerated. I mean, Snape was being a git and I was incredibly tired because of the O... Anyway, the point is, I'm really sorry!'

'Ok. It's fine...' he turned around to leave, but she held his arm.

He looked back to her. His hazel penetrating her very soul. Lily had never felt so vulnerable.

'Please, forgive me... I spent all summer trying to find the right words to apologise! I took it too far and it's ok if you never want to speak to me again, I just... I just thought that we should be on good terms before doing this prefect thing together...' she whispered. Lily could feel tears forming in her eyes and it puzzled her how much she cared what this boy she hated thought of her. She still hated him, right? Even if he looked amazing and even if his eyes held this meaningful look that they had never held before, she stil hated him. Right?

'Seriously, it's fine... I don't hold on to grudges, you know...' he said, giving her a small smile. 'Don't worry about it.'

She let go of his arm and nodded. He smiled again and left, bowing his head. Lily wiped her eyes before the tears could fall and cursed herself for thinking those thoughts about James Potter. Then she started walking and suddenly they were side-by-side again.

'I think, hm, my friends may be in your compartment...' she said.

'Right. Because of Remus... Yeah, that's plausible.'

Silence fell again. Lily smacked her forehead lightly thinking that she was the master of small talk, then why couldn't she do it now?

'So, how were your exams?' she asked. What a stupid question!

'All right. I got one E, though... Damn Potions...' he muttered. 'Yours?'

'One E? Impressive! I mean, yeah, good for you! I got, hm, two E's, actually... Divination and Transfiguration... I'm dropping Divination this year, though, it's horrible... But I need Transfiguration for the Auror training, which is awful because I'm really bad at it and... Oh, sorry, I'm babbling.'

James chuckled.

'It's fine... I can, erm, help you with Transfiguration if you want... It's my best subject. I helped Sirius last year and he got a O, so...' he suggested, ruffling his hair again.

'Oh, yeah! That would be wonderful! Thanks! And if you need any help with Potions, just ask...' she smiled sincerely. He nodded and grinned as well, looking at the door in front of them. 'What...?'

Remus and Emmeline sat together and looked terrified and embarrassed as the other ones were probably mocking them somehow.

'Poor Emmeline... She haven't hung out with Sirius long enough not to be scared...' James whispered. Lily laughed. It was true. Lily knew from all those years of being chased by James that Sirius Black was a persistent mocker and prankster and there was no stopping him. They walked in the compartment and were welcomed by laughter.

'Lily, help...' asked Em in a low voice.

The redhead smiled and gave a stern glare to Black, who stopped right away.

'Wow, way to be whipped, Padfoot!' said James, smiling and sitting next to his best mate. 'Hello, ladies!'

'Nice outfit, James!' said Hestia, smirking at him. 'You look really handsome.'

'Thanks..' he blushed.

'Way to be gay, Prongs...' said Sirius and he laughed along with Remus and Peter.

James punched him in the arm. 'Git.' He muttered.

The rest of the trip was uneventful as the girls went back to their own compartment and Remus and Emmeline took off by themselves earning whistles and claps from the rest of the Marauders.

Lily found herself strangely having fun with the guys. They were very fascinating people and not the toerags she used to think they were. Especially James Potter. He was very nice and funny, and she could tell he cared a great deal about his friends.

As they arrived at the Castle, all the students were thrown off by the beauty of the place. The flames lit the Castle in a magical way – pun intended – and it seemed like it had come out of a fairy tale.

The Great Hall was packed. The students chatted excitedly about their summer breaks and the new students about their Houses. Then suddenly silence fell as Albus Dumbledore stood to make his annual speech.

'Hello, students, and welcome! I hope you have a great year, but, first of all, the announcements. To all of you, the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden for those who do not wish a painful death. Also, do not go around the corridors past curfew and be careful, as those are Dark Times at hand. You have to trust your insticts and you friends.' He looked around and it seemed like he was looking into the soul of each and every student. 'Now, enjoy your term, congratulations to those who got good marks and good luck, to those sitting O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s! Let the feast begin!' and as he said that, the golden plates and goblets were filled with the most delicious food and drinks in the world and the Great Hall smelled comforting and cozy.

'I missed this...' said Lily, eating the best mashed potatoes in the Universe and moaning as she swallowed them.

'Ok, get a room...' said Hestia, lifting her eyebrow.

'Shut it!'

'Are you sad to be apart from you lover, Remy?' asked Sirius, smirking.

James and Peter laughed. Remus rolled his eyes.

'Sod off...'

'Come on! You have a girlfriend now! Moony is in looooooove!' he dragged the syllables of "love" until Remus smacked him in the head. James snorted.

'It's just good fun, Moony, don't get all sensitve...'

'You're the one to say! You spent half the break all mopy because of Lily!'

It was Sirius' turn to roll his eyes. 'I hate that redhead.'

'She apologised, mate, just let it go!' Peter said, looking over his moutain of food.

'Pete's right... Even Prongs forgave her, you should too...'

'It's different! Prongs is in love with her so he fell under her vicious spells, but I can see clearly! She's just mean!' Sirius pouted.

'Padfoot, leave it. We're fine and we'll have to be fine otherwise the patrols will be hell...' James said in a small voice. Truth was, he still loved Lily very much and he would always forgive her for anything she ever did, but it really pained him to see his best mate, his brother, hating her because he was stuck in the middle of a moral battlefield.

'Happy thoughts!' Peter yelled. He hated tension during eating times, which basically meant that he hated tension.

'Fine. How about we give the new students a welcoming prank?' suggested Sirius. James grinned and nodded. Remus shook his head and smirked.

'Let's do this...' said James. He got his wand out and murmured something that only the other four could understand. They got the idea and did the same. Suddenly the ceiling got really crazy and started to rain, but only on the first years. When the rain hit their black hats, they became the colour of each House, or, in the case of Slytherins, pink, and the hats got up and created arms and legs and started to sing in a very off-key, high pitched voice 'welcome to Hogwarts, tiny little todlers, you will suffer, in the hand of the Marauders' and they laughed after the verse and sang it again. The staff table looked at it in shock. Dumbledore seemed amused and Professor McGonagall shook her head. Everyone else was laughing, except the Slyhterins because, after each verse, the hats threw food at the older kids.

James saw Lily laugh at the prank and smiled. He made her happy and that's what mattered.

'I think that's enough...' said Remus after about five minutes of that.

James nodded and waved his wand in order to finished the spell. Suddenly, all the hats went back to their original colours and sat in their owners' heads.

There were claps everywhere – minus the Slytherin table, obviously – and the four of them stood up and bowed. Professor Dumbledore also stood up and waved for silence.

'Incedibly talented, very good prank, boys... Better than the crazy chicken of last year anyway...' he said, followed by laughs. 'Well, on that note, I'd like to wish you good luck on your new term! Good night!'

And with that, kids began to get up.

'I have to help the kids... I'll see you guys later...' James said, taking up his prefect duty. He soon found Lily and together they began to direct the new Gryffinfors to their new dorm behind the Fat Lady portrait.

'Very clever prank, I must say...' she said, as they walked.

'Why, thank you... I had to come up with that verse on the spot, though, so it wasn't very creative...' he laughed.

Lily shook her head and smiled.


	4. The Art of Being Friendly

#4 – The Art of Being Friendly

It was the morning before their first classes and Professor McGonagall was handing out the class schedules.

'Thanks!' said Liky excitedly, picking up hers. 'Potions! Yey!'

Hestia rolled her eyes. 'You are the only person alive who likes Potions...'

'Yeah, well... It's fun!' said Lily. 'Like Chesmistry!'

'Urgh, Chemistry... My dad told me all about it.' Muttered Mary. 'Seems so boring!'

'Good morning... Mind if we join you?' said Remus, squeezinh Emmeline's shoulder. She smiled and shook her head, signing for them to sit. 'Thanks.' He then gave her a peck on the cheek and she blushed.

'Awwn...' said the other three girls.

'Ew...' said the three boys.

'Class schedules!' exclaimed James, picking up his. 'Urgh, Potions... I was hoping for something fun...'

'Why do we want to be Aurors again? I bet if we wanted to be, like, musicians or something, we wouldn't need this stupid subject...' said Sirius. 'Only Evans likes it... Oh, and Snivellus!'

James rolled his eyes and Lily blushed.

'Let it go, Pads, please?' he asked.

'Happy thoughts!' said Peter again. The boy really hated tension.

'How about free period after Potions?' suggested Lily. 'That's gotta be good, right?'

'Sure, Evans...' Sirius took a last bite out of his toast, got up and left.

'He's a bit moody today... PMS, I'd say...' said James, smiling and following Sirius.

'What's wrong with Black?' asked Hestia.

'Remus... tell us!' said Emmeline. Remus and Peter exchanged looks.

'Fine! I'll tell you... Well, he's never liked Lily all that much, what with James all lovey dovey and all that, and now he really hates her because James was really sad for most part of the summer thinking "yeah, Lily really hates me, I shoudl just kill myself right now..." and it also really bugs him that Prongs forgave you so easily, that's all...' he said, glaring at Peter, who shrugged.

'He hates me?' Lily asked. Remus nodded. 'Well, I couldn't care less!'

'Sure, I mean, it's not like James is going to take his side anyway!' said Hestia sarcastically.

'He won't need to take sides because there are no sides to take!'

'Of course there are! I mean, James is going to stop talking to you eventually because he can't go agains his best mate!' said Mary.

'I don't really care about that! I don't need Potter to talk to me...' Lily said, trying to convince herself more than the others.

'Keep telling yourself that... Let's go...' said Em, pulling Remus.

James followed Sirius into the dungeons where Potions class would take place.

'What was that?' asked him.

'What was what?'

'That little show you gave in the Great Hall!'

'I was just expressing my opinion, ok?'

'No, you were being a baby!' said James.

Sirius huffed. He glared at James and turned his eyes the other way.

'Come on, mate, why can't you just let it go?'

'Because! Ok? Because! You're too close to see what she's done to you! And then you finally get a chance to forget about her, move on and all that, and you don't! Why do you keep torturing youself?'

James sighed.

'I love her, Padfoot.'

Sirius stared at his best mate.

'I can't stop thinking about her... I can smell her hair when I close my eyes and I dream about her every night. I love her so much it hurts and being close to her, even if just as a friend, just makes it hurt a little less... I don't want the pain anymore, Sirius, but I can't get away from her, thoughts of her, the idea of her next to me... Hell, I've pictured us getting married!' he said, his voice shaking.

Sirius went over to his best mate and hugged him. They were both alone in the dungeons, so he could do that. The both of them had a no-hugging-or-doing-any-bromance-stuff-in-front-of-people policy. It was stupid, but it saved their private moments.

'It's ok... I get it. I mean, I don't, because I've never felt that, but I've seen you mope and cry about her for the past 5 years, so...'

James nodded. They were good.

'I'm not a baby, by the way.'

'Yes, yes, you are, Pads, sorry...' he smirked. Then people started showing up for class. Remus came, followed by Emmeline, Hestia, Mary and Lily. Peter couldn't take Potions anymore because he'd got a T.

'I see everything's fine now...' said Remus, looking proudly at his friends. Sirius and James shrugged.

'He'll live...' said James.

'We are making Amortentia today!' said Professor Slughorn, smiling widely as all the girls in the room beamed at the idea. Half of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws looked at Sirius and the other half, at James. The former winked as the latter rolled his eyes. 'Get your cauldrons ready and go!'

Never before did the girls seem so eager to finish a Potion. Remus smirked, looking at his mates.

'I wouldn't eat anything suspicious, if I were you...' he said.

'Yeah, I'm having all of my meals in the Kitchens from now on...' said James, chuckling.

'Please, they won't put anything in our food, will they?' asked Sirius. Remus shruged, chuckled and went back to his Potion. The two dark-haired boys looked at each other nervously.

'How 'bout we make Wormtail try our food before eating it?' suggested James.

'Sounds like a plan...' said Sirius, sighing. 'Crazy birds.' James laughed.

By the end of the double-period, the classroom was filled with a spiralling steam. Professor Slughorn was looking solemnly over the students' shoulders nodding or shaking his head. He then arrived at Lily's cauldron.

'Ah, perfection!' he said, proudly. 'What a lovely Amortentia, Ms. Evans!'

'Thanks...' she said, blushing.

'What do you smell?' he asked. She coughed.

'Erm... Cologne... The smell of grass in the wind and... Lilies...' she said, smiling. She had no idea what those smells meant, but they were nice, like home, somehow.

'Wonderful!' then he walked over to some other students.

'Lilies?' asked Hestia in a whisper.

'Maybe you love yourself...' said Mary, giggling.'

'Or maybe she loves some one who gave her lilies once...' said Emmeline, smelling her own Amortentia and smiling. Old books, chocolate and popcorn – since Remus had taken her to the Muggle cinema on their first date because he thought it would be loads of fun, what actually ended up being.

'Plausible...' the other two said.

'Stop thinking about my Potion, ok?' Lily said, angrily. They laughed.

'Mr. Potter!' exclaimed Professor Slughorn, startling James, who was absentmindedly making his Amortentia. 'Very nice, I must admit!'

'Thank you, sir!' James said, stuffing his chest. Sirius snorted behind him.

'Nice colouring and steam... Now, what do you smell?'

'Are you asking everyone?' he asked. 'I wasn't really paying attention...'

'I'm asking the ones with the best Potions...'

'Oh, good! Ok.. Hm... Strawberry shampoo, parchment and... Hm... That smoke that comes out of the Hogwarts Express...' he said, blushing slightly.

'Great! Thank you, Mr. Potter... Hm, nice, Mr. Black, but could be better...' he then strolled off, picking on some Ravenclaws.

'Weird smells...' said Sirius. Remus came next to them.

'Train smoke? Seriously?'

'Did you hear that?'

'Everyone did... Can you guess how many girls are going to start using strawberry shampoo tomorrow?' he laughed, being joined by Sirius.

'I hate these crazy grupies... I don't know how to explain those smells... I think it's because they remind me of Lily... Since we first met at the Hogwarts Express... and she studies a lot, hence the parchment... The shampoo is pretty self-explanatory.

The other two nodded.

'You're such a girl, Prongs... Maybe that's why you're a deer... Bambi!'

Remus snorted and then started laughing really hard. James' eyes got wide.

'Did you actually just say that?'

'Yes!' Sirius managed to say in between laughs.

'Kill me. Kill me now!' said Emmeline, sitting on the dinner table, looking very tired.

'Already? That is a record!' said Mary, smiling tiredly. 'But, yeah, today was super tiring!'

'I thought it was fun! Can't wait for tomorrow!'said Lily, sitting down and starting to eat. Her friends stared at her with wide eyes.

'Insane. You. You are insane.' Muttered Hestia.

'Evening, oh lovely damsels!' said Sirius, joining them. Peter followed behind him.

'Are you planning on joining us?' asked Hestia, looking at him with one eyebrow lifted.

'Yup. Trying to take one for the team, you know...' he nodded, eating a piece of chicken.

'Where are the other two?' asked Mary.

'Remus went to the library to check out a book and James went along, since he wasn't hungry.'

'They're both fools, if you ask me... This is delicious!' said Peter, between a mouthful of mince pie.

'Manners, Pete...' sighed Sirius, rolling his eyes.

Peter shrugged and ate more.

Hestia stared at him in disgust.

'Why do boys have to eat like trolls?' she asked.

'Remus doesn't!' exclaimed Emmeline.

Sirius snorted.

'You haven't seen him really hungry yet, my lady...'

'Don't blow her fantasy just yet, Black...' said Mary, smiling. 'They're still in the "my-boyfriend/girlfriend-doesn't-have-any-flaws-like-farting-and-burping" period in their relationship.'

With that both Hestia and Lily started laughing into their goblets and almost choked. Sirius barked a loud laugh.

'You're right, pardon me.' He said, smirking. 'Moony is perfect. He has no flaws... After he leaves the bathroom, the whole room smells like daisies and perfume!'

Lily and Hestia were now holding their stomachs with laughter. Emmeline glared at Sirius, who laughed along with Mary and Peter, who was no longer eating everything he saw.

'That... was... amazing!' said Lily. 'Oh, Merlin!'

'I know! I can't... Hahahaha... stop!' laughed Hestia.

A few minutes of laughter later, Remus came carrying a few books, followed by James, who had only one, but a rather thick one, under his arm.

'What happened?' asked Remus. Sirius couldn't stop laughing to tell them and Emmeline, who was the only one not finding it amusing, refused to say.

'Do we not want to know?' asked James, looking suspiciously from Lily to Hestia and then to his best mate.

'No... I'll... tell you later!' said Sirius, trying to find air.

Remus and James looked at each other, shrugged and sat down to eat. Remus next to Emmeline, who had saved him a seat, and James next to Lily, since it was the only other place available.

'Hi!' she said, excitedly.

'Hi... Is everything ok?'

'Yes... Black just made a rather funny joke...' she said.

'Well, that would be a first.' He smiled. Lily giggled.

'Hey! I resent that!' said Sirius, waving his arms from his seat.

Lily and James looked at each other and broke into laughs.

The first weeks of class passed impressively fast. The classes were getting more difficult, the teachers were becoming more sadistic and giving copious amounts of homework and life appeared to be slightly more fun when haging out with the Marauders, as Lily would find out.

Because of the duties, she and James had become closer and she could honestly call him her friend. And, weirdly enough, she didn't miss her old friendship with Snape one bit. Of course, some times she would think about some fun times they had together, but he was so serious all the time that some jokes and stupid puns with funny boys were actually kind of a relief.

'Sooo... Excited about Hogsmead?' asked James as he and Lily walked to the Great Hall together, since they had been the first ones up.

'Oh, yes. Since I've never been there before and everything's so new...' she said sarcastically.

James chuckled. 'You're no fun.. I love Hogsmeade... I live in London, so going to an actual Wizard village is awesome...'

'Really? London? We live in Surrey...' said Lily.

'Never been there...' he said, smiling shyly.

'Well, obviously, it isn't the most visited place in the world, Surrey...' she blushed. 'Anyway, back to Hogsmeade! Any special dates?'

'Nah... I don't particularly like to date... Just going to re-stock my Honeydukes and Zonko's stashes and probably get some quills...' he said, shrugging.

'You know, I have never been inside Zonko's!'

James gasped.

'No. Way! Merlin's pants, Lily!' they were in first-name basis now, indeed. 'What kind of a teenager are you, never been to Zonko's!'

'Sorry... I'm not much of a prankster...'

'Oh... You're missing on so much fun! Are you going to Hogsmeade?'

'No... I have a lot of homework...' she said, simply, hoping that he wouldn't ask her out, but wondering if this time she'd say no if he did.

'Alright, then I'll bring you some stuff from there! Oh, Lils, you'll love it!'

They sat at the table and started eating some pancakes.

'I told you, I don't like pranks!' she said, kind of startled by the fact that he hadn't asked her out. 'They're childish and mean...'

'Nah, that's hexing... By the way, do you think Bertram Aubrey is still scared of me and Sirius? Doesn't matter... Pranks are fun! Practical jokes... Oh! Lils, you will become a prankster after this!' he said.

'Wow, I'd forgotten about Aubrey... Ravenclaw, right? Poor boy, he seriously runs away from you now! It's been, what?, two years?'

James laughed.

'Yes... I feel bad about it, though...' he admitted.

Lily looked at him. He really seemed to regret doing that. Had James changed? Had he become a better person? Or, Merlin forbid, had he always been this way and she had just been too daft and stubborn to see.

She then realised that the rest of the group had already joined them.

'Hm, sorry... I wasn't paying attention...' she said.

'Daydreaming, Lily? Abou what? Or, dare I say, who?'

'It's whom, and nobody!' Lily said, reddening. Her friends laughed.

'Oh, Evans... You can just admit your undying love for me and stop daydreaming...' said Sirius with a smug smirk. Lily and James both smacked him in the head afterwards.

'Bloody ow!'

'Idiot.' Said Lily.

'Wanker...' said James.

Remus shook his head and chuckled.

Lily had been studying. All day. It was a saturday, three in the afternoon, and she had been studying since after breakfast. Not even lunch had she had. So mcuh homework, so much stuff... She was impressed that no one else was there, but then again, it was good because she preferred to study in the Common Room than to have to go all the way to the library where Madame Pince stared at her like she was expecting Lily to break rules or something. Yes, Common Room!

The portrait hole opened and she glanced at it. It had been raining since the day before and so a very wet James Potter cam throught the door.

'Hello!' he said, smiling. His dark hair was shaggy and wet and sticking on his forehead. His glasses were all blurry with the condensation of water and his cheeks were red due to the cold wind outside. Lily smiled as she saw him.

'Hey, James... Back already?'

'Told you I didn't have anything to do... Pete likes to eat, Sirius is snogging some random girl and Remus is with Emmeline, so I came here...' he shrugged. He was wearing a stripped blue shirt and dark brown dress trousers and a tweed blazer. His Converse sneakers were drenched and he kept shaking his feet.

'Not the best idea to wear these today...' he muttered, sitting next ot Lily by the fire. 'How's homework going?'

'Have I ever mentioned to you how much I loathe Transfiguration?' she said, smirking. 'Because I do oh so very much!'

He chuckled.

'Oh, Lils... but it's so easy! I'll go change, then we can see what to you with you loathing situation.' He climbed up the stairs very quickly and came back in less than ten minutes, dressed in a pair of khaki slacks and a maroon polo shirt. Lily noticed his socks were mismatched and she lifter her eyebrows.

'Socks?'

'I don't like them to be the same... Superticious, I guess... Anyway, Tranfisguration!'

'Yeah! Let's taken this bitch down!' Lily said, in a 'macho' voice. James laughed and shook his head.

'Ok, tell me what's wrong...'

And so they started studying together. Lily realised how smart he truly was and suddenly wasn't surprised about his O.W.L.s results. James could explain everything in a much simpler way that neither the books nor Professor McGonagall had ever managed to. What's more, she was actually having fun. Her. Lily Evans. Having fun while studying. Transfiguration. With James Potter! It was unbelievable!


	5. An Eventful Duty

_N/A: Hey! Hm, thank you! Every one who's reading this and reviewing (or not, but it would be awesome if you did… feedback is always nice…)… You really made my day and I'm happy now! Yey! So, here's another chapter for you! _

#5 – An Eventful Duty

'Where the bloody hell is James Potter?' asked Lily, who was sitting on the sofa in front of the fireplace, looking really frazzled and angry. 'We're going to be late for prefect duty!'

'He'll be here in a minute… Relax, Evans…' said Sirius, coming down the stairs of the boys dorm. 'Merlin, you really need a boyfriend or something.'

'Sod off!' with that, Sirius smirked.

'Just kidding, take it easy, tiger…'

'Where is he?'

'He's helping Remus with something…'

'No need to fear, James is here!' interupted James, coming down the stairs with a sort of panache. 'Shall we leave?'

'You're late!'

'Nope. My watch says I am exactly one minute early. Ha-ha!' he pointed at her and she smacked him in the head.

'Bloody ow! I forgot how much those hurt!'

'Well, they'll happen more often if you start showing up late for duty! We have to go!' Lily pulled him by the wrist and dragged him out of the Common Room, leaving a laughing Sirius Black behind.

'This is so boring!' said James, sighing.

'I know… At least we'll be done soon…'

He nodded.

James and Lily were patrolling the third floor at that moment and nothing remotely interesting or suspicious had happened… At least until…

'Ssh… I heard some voices!' James said, tiptoeing in direction of the corner of the wall, so see if anything was happening on the other side. Lily followed behind him, in silence. Both drew out their wands in case they were needed.

'The Dark Lord doesn't like to be kept waiting, Severus, and you know. Now, say it! In or out!' said Bellatrix Black, Sirius' older cousin. She was a seventh year now and rumor had it she was going to join Voldemort after she left Hogwarts. Although that didn't really seem like a rumor anymore.

'Merlin!' exclaimed Lily in a whisper. James shushed her. 'Sorry…'

'I know, Bellatrix. I told I am in.'

Lily's eyes went wide and she couldn't stop herself from letting tears fall. Snape. Her former best friend Snape was becoming a Death Eater? She knew he had it in for the Dark Arts but this? This was joining an evil Wizard who wanted to kill Muggles and Muggleborns, like her. _Mudblood_. His voice came in her mind saying this all over again and more tears fell.

'Lils? Are you ok?' she shook her head. 'Ok, I'm breaking this up. They can't do that in here…'

'James! They're dangerous!'

'They're students and they are out of bed after curfew. You can stay here, I'll be back.'

'Wait! James!' but he had already gone.

'What's going on in here?' she heard him ask. Lily wanted to go, but she knew that she wouldn't be much help crying like that.

'Hello, Potty! Marauding through the Castle?' asked Bellatrix in a shrill mocking tone.

'No, Black, I'm patrolling the corridors… Go to the Dungeons now and I won't have to give you a detention.' He said, calmly.

'Uh, so fancy! Now he's a prefect…' Mulciber, who was also there confronting Snape with Bellatrix, said '… he thinks he can actually tell us what to do.'

Bellatrix snorted and laughe. Snape smirked. James was surrounded by them. He didn't even wince, though, just stood taller.

'Do you really think this is a good idea? Confronting me like this?' he asked, with a smile. He strengthened the grip on his wand and waited.

'Oh, yes we do… See you're alone here… ' said Bellatrix. She waved her long black hair pompously and smiled. Now the three of them were in front of James with their backs turn to Lily. She walked and stood behind them. James shook her head as if telling her he got it.

'All right, then. Go ahead…'

Mulciber laughed and drew his wand.

'Cru—'

'Levicorpus!' said James, and Mulciber was pulled by his ankle to the air and wans hanging there. His wand had fallen. Bellatrix glared at the Gryffindor.

'Blood traitor!' she yelled. 'Stupefy!'

'Expelliarmus!' Bellatrix flew away with her wand. That left James and Snape, glaring at each other. Lily hid herself, waiting for the right time to go.

'Sectumsempra!' yelled Snape. James tried to protect himself but he was too slow for his enemy. He fell to the floor, convulsing, hundred of cuts appeared on his skin and he was losing a lot of blood.

'JAMES!' Lily yelled. She didn't know what that spell was and she was incredibly worried, looking at James. Her tears fell even harder now. 'What did you do?' she asked Snape, glaring at him.

Snape looked from her to James and back. James was groaning in pain and the floor and Lily's clothes wer covered with his blood.

'I'm… I didn't—'

'I don't want to hear it! Fix him! Fix him now!' she yelled.

Snape nodded and kneeled next to James and muttered "Vulnera Sanetur" a few times, curing the cuts. After he was finished, there were no more cuts, but James was still unconscious.

'What's wrong with you? Have you gone mad? He could've died, Snape!' she said, now in a lower voice for James' benefit.

'I'm sorry, I—'

'No, don't even bother! First you call me mudblood, then you join the Death Eaters and now _this_? Please, stay away from me!' she said, magicking James into a stretcher.

'I only joined to protect you!' he said. 'If I ask, he won't kill you! If you join…'

'Join? I will never join Voldemort! I will never do that and betray everything I believe! I'd rather die fighting him than be a coward and protect myself! You should be ashamed! I'm reporting this to Dumbledore!' with that Lily left, without looking back.

Everything was dark and then it was suddenly too bright. James opened his eyes and the whole room around him was blurry. He reacher over for his glasses and put them on. He noticed he was in the Hospital Wing and that he felt very extremely weak.

'Oh, hello dear!' said Madame Promfrey, aproaching his bed.

'What time is it?' he asked.

'Around six in the morning, I would say. You've been asleep for two days!'

'What? Two days? What happened?'

'You lost a lot of blood, Mr. Potter…' she said, nodding. 'But you'll be fine now. Just need some rest and some food.'

James nodded. He remembered fighting the Slytherins and Snape and Lily screaming his name and everything else was just a blur.

'Lily! How is she? Is she ok?'

'Yes, yes… She was the one who brought you in, you see…' he sighed and rested on his pillow. James felt drained. _Sectumsempra_. That was a really weird spell and he had never heard of it before. He thought of asking Madame Promfrey about it, but decided to forget it and try and get some relaxed sleep.

'Come on!' Lily said, draggin her friends from the Common Room. 'I want to make sure he's fine before breakfast!'

'But it's Saturday! We can stay the whole day there after breakfast! I'm hungry!' moaned Hestia.

Lily sighed. 'You're a horrible friend! Sirius Black is probably already there!'

'Let's go or she'll just get annoying…' said Emmeline, logically.

And so they went to the Hospital Wing. When the four girls arrived, they saw that there already was a group huddled up around James' bed. Peter was eating jell-O, while Sirius and Remus played chess – muggle chess – and James slept.

'He's still alseep?' asked Lily, sound more worried that she wanted to. Sirius looked up from the board.

'Poppy said he woke up this morning and went back to sleep. He did lose a lot of blood, it's only natural that his body is trying to save as much energy as possible…' he said. The four girls looked at him with wide eyes. 'What? I know things!'

Remus chuckled.

'Check mate in 3.' He said, smirking.

'Damn you!' said Sirius. 'I hate this stupid game! Why can't we play Explosive Snap?'

'Because it's loud!'

'Is there anymore jell-O?'

'Wormy! That was Prongs'!'

The girls approached the bed and sat next to the boys.

Emmeline kissed Remus on the cheek and stayed next to him.

Lily couldn't stop looking at James, who seemed to fragile and small in that bed. She'd only been friends with him for a couple of months now, but she suddenly found herself missing his smile, his laugh, his stupid jokes…

That's when James slowly starting to open his eyes. He scratched them with his hands and reached out for his glasses.

'Morning, mate…' said Sirius, trying to sound nonchalant, but everyone noticed that he was happy and relieved that his best friend was ok.

'Hey… Have you been here long?'

'Nah, 'bout an hour or so… The ladies just arrived, actually.'

Lily stared at James. He was smiling! He was alive! Breathing and talking and wonderfully alive! She couldn't help but smile wide.

'I'm so glad you're ok!' she said, queezing him into a tight hug. James' eyes went wide, as did everyone else's for that matter.

'Are _you_ ok, Lily?' he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

She smacked him lightly in the arm. 'Sod off…' she smiled. 'I'm just glad you're not dead and stuff…'

'Oh, thank you for not wanting me dead and stuff…' he smirked.

'Wanna play some chess? Sirius is rubbish…' said Remus, moving the board next to James and offering him a piece of chocolate.

'Definitely.'

'I ate you jell-O… Thought you wouldn't mind, since it was the red kind and I know that you like the orange one best…' said Peter, in a small shy voice. James snickered.

'It's fine, Wormtail. I prefer chocolate anyway. Thanks, Moony.'

Remus shrugged and smiled.

That interaction really admired Lily. They were really close, like brothers, and seemed so… Different when it was just them. When there were people – other people – around, Sirius and James liked to show off and play pranks, but alone they were quiet and calm and, for Merlin's sake, played chess! Muggle chess!

'Well, I'm glad you're good… I'm going to breakfast now! See you later, Potter!' said Hestia, patting him on the head and leaving. Emmeline kissed Remus, then gave James a peck on the cheek and left as well. Mary stayed with Lily there.

'Aren't you girls leaving?' asked Sirius.

'What, do you want Marauder-alone-time to braid you hair and talk about boys?' Mary asked sarcastically.

'Perhaps…' said Remus, smiling.

James and Peter laughed. Sirius lifted one eyebrow.

'Good one, McDonald…' he admitted in defeat. Mary smirked. Lily rolled her eyes.

Later that afternoon, James was sitting alone in the Hospital Wing, reading a Muggle book for Literary Studies in Muggle Studies. Each student had to pick a Muggle book they wanted to read and write a full report and analysis on it based on what effects it had on Muggle society. James had picked 'The Illustrated Man' and he was quite enjoying it.

He was also really ready do leave that bed and go back to the Gryffinfor Common Room, but Poppy said he needed the rest and confirmed that he would be able to leave the next morning. At that he sighed and went back to his book.

'Where is he?' James heard, from outside the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey, who was checking another injured student in the back, went running to the front to see what was going on. James stretched his neck trying to see anything.

'Where for Merlin's sake is my son?' and soon, James' Mum came through the front doors, her eyes filled with tears and her hair, always so tamed and discreet much like Professor McGonagall's, a mess. 'Jamesie! Oh, my baby! What happened to you!' she bellowed, running towards him, leaving a shocked Madame Pomfrey behind. 'I just came back from visiting Bathilda and you father told me about you and I couldn't possibly believe he hadn't told me earlier!' she said, hugging her son tightly.

'I'm ok, Mum… I can't breathe…' he said, so she let go. 'How did you get in here?'

'Oh, I sent a patronus to Albus as soon as I found out! He said you were fine, just like Harold had, but you are my baby! I couldn't just believe, right? I'm so glad you're ok!' she hugged him again.

'Thanks for coming, anyway… but I'll be out of here by tomorrow… At least that's what Poppy's promised, eh?' he smirked. Elizabeth Potter gave him a light smack on the head.

'Do you have to be such a Potter all the time?' she asked, smiling. 'I missed you, pumpkin… How's everything?'

'I'm sorry, Mrs. Potter, but can I offer you anything?' asked Madame Pomfrey, smiling.

'No, Poppy, dear. I just want to see my son for a little while, if that's ok…'she then smiled sweetly, a smile that only James could reproduce and that had got him out of a lot of trouble. A lot. Also a lot of free butterbeer at Three Broomsticks. 'So? School? Quidditch? Lily Evans?'

'School's fine… Quidditch is tough, but we'll manage – our new Seeker is not as good as the last one, shamefully – and Lily… well… We are friends and, honestly, I'd rather only be friends with her for the rest of my life and supress my feelings than put everything out there, ask her out and be shot out and compared to a giant squid…' he smiled sadly.

'Of course… Well, I'm glad you're not mopy anymore… You're eating well?'

James chuckled.

'Yes, Mum. Three hot meals per day… And a few occasional trips to the Kitchens after hours during the weekends…' he said, rubbing his neck and smiling.

'Again, do you have to be just like your dad all the time?' they both laughed.

'Where is he, by the way?'

'Had a lot of work to do… He's retiring next year, so he has to put everything in order for the new Head Auror, Alastor Moody.'

'He's the new Head? Kidding! Awesome!'

Elizabeth laughed. 'Yes, he is… It'll be a blast to work there, I'm sure… At least we don't get crazy Healers in St. Mungus'…'

'Oh, come on! Moody is so awesome! He put like the badest badasses in Azkaban!'

Elizabeth shook her head. _Just like his father_, she thought.

Lily went to visit James before dinner. She wanted to talk to him peacefully and asked Remus to give Sirius and Peter something to do so that they wouldn't linger in the Hospital Wing. So they were in the Library, shockinly enough.

When she entered, the first thing she saw was James smiling widely. Then she noticed a very much older woman talking to him excitedly. She had long dark auburn hair and was wearing beautifully tailored clothes. Her shoes was amazing, Lily thought, walking over to them. She wondered who might she be.

'Excuse me? Hm, I wanted to—' she began, but was interrupted when the woman stood up – she was as tall as Lily – and met her green eyes with hazel eyes, that sparkled happily just like James'.

'Hi! Nice to meet you! You must be Lily Evans! I heard so much – oh so much! – about you!' the woman said. 'I'm Elizabeth Potter, Jay-jay's Mum…'

James was tomato-red at that moment and Lily chuckled.

'Hi. Yeah, it's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Potter…'

'Oh, please! Call me Elizabeth!' she smiled. Lily noticed that Elizabeth moved her hands when she talked the same way James did. She also talked very fast. 'I have to go now, pumpkin.'

'Really? You have to?' asked James. He wasn't even mocking, he was really sad to see her go.

'Yes, but I'll write to you about Christmas ok?' she kissed him on the cheek and squeezed it. 'Love you, pumpkin! Goodbye, Lily darling…'

'Love you mum!'

'Bye, nice to meet you.'

Elizabeth winked and left the Hospital Wing.

'Wow… Your mum is so gorgeous!' Lily said, when the woman was far enough she wouldn't listen.

'Yep… And she's super smart!'

Lily laughed. 'Really? Your dad isn't?'

'No, he totally is… I mean, he's Head Auror, right? But Mum is, like, Dumbledore-smart…'

Lily smiled. He loved his Mum very much, it was endearing. He had been mumbling about how awesome his mum was when he realised that Lily, Lily!, was actually there.

'What are you doing here?' he asked.

Lily shrugged.

'Just wanted to check up on you… See when you get out and stuff…'

'Tomorrow morning! Thank Merlin, I can't stand the sight of this place! And I've only been awake for a few hours!' he said. 'On Monday, we're starting Quidditch practice…'

'You can't! You've been injured!'

'Lils, I'm not a baby! And I'm Captain, I kinda have to be there!' he said, smiling.

'You're infuriating!' she said. 'You're gonna get yourself killed on that pitch one day and I'll be all "I told you so!" but you won't be able to hear it cause you'll be dead!' she said.

James' eyes went wide.

'You've been hanging around Padfoot waaaaay too much.'

Lily smacked him on the arm. 'Git.' She smiled.


	6. Full Moon

_N/A: Gosh, I'm so sorry for the lameness of this chapter's title, but I really suck at choosing them so you'll have to blame Stephanie Meyer for ruining all things Moon-related (except Moony because not even _her_ could ruin his perfection, eh?) _

_ Anyway, on a happier note, I'd like to thank all of you who are reading this and pressing the alert button – wherever that is – and I know who you are, because I get e-mails, muahahaha! Anyway, if you enjoy this story but you think I could improve somehow or do something different of perhaps in add something new, just tell me... I'm all ears, or eyes, since I'll be reading. Oh well, be happy! _

#6 – Full Moon

The full moon was approaching and James had been pacing around the dorm room, not knowing what to do.

'What am I going to tell Lily when I can't be on duty with her?' he asked. 'I mean, she knows about you furry little problem and all, but she doesn't know about us, right? So I can't just say I'll be visiting you because she'll know and –'

'Stop with the mumbling! I hate the mumbling!' Sirius bellowed from the bathroom, where he had been shaving. He came out with his left cheek and neck convered with foam. 'Look, just make up some excuse like you have to study or make up for some Potions or something... Just quit the fucking mumbling, for Merlin's sake!' and he went back. Remus nodded.

'Yeah... She isn't suspicious of our activities, so it won't be hard convincing her... Especially if you use homework as an excuse...'

'But ever since the accident.. I don't know... What about the Slytherins, right? I can't just leave her to do the rounds by herself! They're dangerous! You saw what the wanker Snape did to me, right?'

'He won't hurt Evans, though...' said Sirius, now leaving the bathroom, drying his skin off with his face towell. 'I mean, he's got this massive, weird, obsessive crush on her, doesn't he?'

James and Remus stared at him. Peter came in, with his arms filled with sweets from the Kitchens. 'What's going on? Why is everyone staring at Padfoot?'

'What? The git likes Lily?' asked James. 'I can't believe it!' he snorted.

'Well, tht actually makes sense... I mean, he was incredibly overprotective of her ever since first year...' said Remus, sitting his chin on his hand.

'But he called her a... you-know-what!' exclaimed James. 'He—he...! Arrgh!'

'Relax, mate.. It's not like he's got a shot at it anyway, I'm just saying that he wouldn't attack her if they were in the corridors...' said Sirius.

'But Bellatrix would!'

Sirius looked down. He nodded. 'Yeah, maybe you should finde someone to cover with her...'

James nodded. He sat on his bed, waiting for his friends to finish getting ready for the day. Then he turned to Peter.

'Why did you go to the Kitchens so early? We're going for breakfast in twenty minutes!'

'I was hungry...' he said, sheeply. James snorted and shook his head.

'Oh, Wormy... There's so much to love about you, man...' and patted the short, mousy friend on the back. Peter smiled widely. He admired James and Sirius and Remus. They were like heroes to him, fantastic wizards, incredibly strong young men and he even got looks from girls when they were walking together since the other three were – as the feminine population of Hogwarts were ready to shout out loud – very handsome.

'Ok, I'm ready!' said Sirius, finishing with his tie. He got his backpack and waited for Remus with the other two. James already had his messenger bag and Peter his backpack as well.

'Ready!' said Remus, running with his leather bag and some books on his arms.

'What's with all the books?'

'I need to return them...'

As they finished climbing the stairs, they met Mary McDonald and Hestia Jones in the Common Room.

'Hello, boys!' said Hestia, smiling. Her dark brown her was swaying over her shoulders and she seemed weirdly happy for a Thursday morning.

'Hey, guys... We just got down, wanna tag along for breakfast?' asked Mary, smiling sweetly the way she always did. That was a major difference between Lily and Mary. Lily was fierce and she was never afraid to speak her mind, whereas Mary was always happy and nice to everyone and she was always trying to please people. Her wavy brown hair and round cheeks made her look like a child and her eyes were always smiling.

'Sure... Has Em gone yet?' asked Remus, joining them.

'Yeah... She went with Lily about half an hour ago...' said Hestia.

The other three boys joined them as well as they walked down to the Great Hall. As they arrived, the were suddenly overcome by the abnormal loudness of the place. It was normally much smoother and calmer during breakfast, but apparently Quidditch try-outs week made people's blood cells run more excitedly on their veins. The five of them sat next to Lily and Emmeline, who talking and laughing about something some one had said a few minutes previously.

'... it was dorky, but really sweet...' finished Emmeline, seeing Remus and waving furiously. 'Hey! Come and sit!'

'Whipped!' murmured Sirius so that only Peter and James could hear. They had to bite their fists to stop the fits of laughter.

'What was dorky and sweet?' asked Hestia, taking place next to Lily.

'I believe you are talking about me?' said James, in a noble tone, faking aristocrat arrogance.

Lily grinned. 'Shut it. No, not you!'

'It was Aaron Diggory... He's adorable, right?' said Emmeline. Remus had an arm around her shoulders and lifter an eyebrow. 'You're more, though...' she smiled. Remus shook his head and smirked.

'What did he do?' asked Sirius in a monotonous tone. If you were a Marauder, you knew how much Sirius dispised the Diggory brothers. Not because they were Hufflepuffs, no, Hufflepuffs were cool, but the Diggory boys were annoying in exponential proportions and Sirius Black hated them.

'Nothing... Just, you know...'

'He asked Lily out! The next Hogsmeade trip!' said an excited Emmeline. Remus quickly glanced at James to see his reaction. He apparently shared at thought with Sirius, because he did the same.

'Yeah... I didn't say yes, though...' Lily said, rubbing the back of her neck.

'But you didn't say no!'

Lily glared at her. 'I don't even know if I like him enough to date him...'

Hestia and Mary stared at her.

'You'll never know if you don't try!' said Hestia. James snorted. He shook his head and gave an apologetic nod. She went on. 'Besides, he's gorgeous, really smart – okay, smart, and he is the Captain of the Quidditch team!'

'Hufflepuff Quidditch team!' said James, interrupting. All eyes turned to him. 'I'm not saying you shouldn't date him, marry him and make Gryffinpuff babies with him, but you do not date him because of Quidditch! We are Gryffindors and I promise you that I will kick his team's arse to oblivion in the first game of the season.' He said simply, looking down at his plate. The girls looked at each other. Hestia beat herself up for forgetting that he was there and that he was madly in love with her friend. Emmeline did the same, and it was worse because she was dating his best friend. Mary and Lily glanced at each other, looking slightly worried.

'Well, that wasn't awkward...' said Sirius with a small smile.

James stared at him.

'I'll see you in Runes...' he said then, getting up and leaving the table.

'That was kind of an exagerated reaction to Quidditch, eh?' said Peter, who seemed completely oblivious as to why the situation had been tense. Sirius smacked him in the head.

'How thick could you get?' he asked in a whisper. He finished his pumpkin juice and got up. 'See you later...' and went after James.

'So... I should go too, right?' said Remus. He too got up, gave Emmeline a peck on the cheek and left, pulling Peter by the collar.

'What just happened?' asked Mary.

'Hestia was incredibly insensitive and stupid and she managed to do that at the same time!' said Emmeline.

'You were totally nodding when I said those things!'

'Guys!' said Lily. 'Stop it, please? Let's just... Go to class...'

'But we have a free period now...' moaned Hestia.

'Fine, then I'll be at the library. And if Diggory asks, I'm at the Astronomy Tower snogging the Giant Squid...' she said, leaving.

James was sitting on the floor next to the classroom door. He was banging the back of his head against the stone walls. _You stupid, idiotic moron! What in the names of Merlin is wrong with you?_ He thought. _Lily doesn't like you so it's only natural that she'd want to date guys... Even if they are guys like Aaron Diggory... Such an idiot! Like they're ever going to believe that you didn't care if she'd date him..._

Sirius came walking towards him, followed by Remus and Petter.

'Hey, Prongs... Are you all right?'

James nodded.

'Sure?'

He shook his head.

'Ok, listen to me now... Stop beating yourself up, man! Evans didn't even want to date the bloke! It was Jones who said those things, not her!'

'Yeah... Don't you think you're overreacting a bit, mate?' asked Remus. James glared at him.

'No, I don't. I don't mind being friends with Lily, because that was I can at least be close to her, but the thought of her dating people... I just... Can't... First it was Snape, now Diggory! And why all of a sudden? For six years, no guys asked out! But now that I have my guards down... Argh!'

'That's because you're not scaring them away anymore, mate...' said Sirius, patting him of the shoulder. 'Now get up and shake it off! It'll all be forgotten by lunch!'

James gave him a small smile, not fully convinced, but just wanting to get that conversation over with. 'Yeah...' he said, joining them.

They were doing rounds. Normally, it was rather pleasant, but Lily felt that James was a little uneasy. As he had been for the last two days. And they had to do rounds on the next as well. Yep, she needed to fix that pickle.

'Are you all right?' she asked, turning to look at him. James had been humming a song, he stopped and looked back at her.

'Yeah... Hm... I actually needed to ask you something.'

'What?'

'Hm, you see, Worm—I mean, Peter is really rubbish at Transfiguration and Charms, unbelievable, really, and he asked if Sirius and I could, erm, help him study and all that... But he's got detention on the day after tomorrow and we actually have homework for that day... And since Remus won't be available, I—'

'You want me to do rounds by myself so you can help Peter?' she smiled. 'Sure, no problem.'

'No! Not by yourself, no... That'd be dangerous, with all those wannabe Death Eaters walking about... I was actually thinking that we could see if any other Prefect would go with you...'

'James, I can defend myself...'

'No, no... It's, hm... No, you can ask Diggory, right? 'Cause he's older and all... And he's, erm... Tall! Really tall!' Lily stared at him. He seemed nervous, somehow. He only mumbled when he was nervous. That why he was ruffling his hair as well. It was an unruly mess.

'James—'

'It's decided! I'll go ask him tomorrow! Yeah, he'll love it! Why wouldn't he? You're great! Yes...' he finished and stared at the floor, finding it extremely amusing all of a sudden. Lily shook her head, giving up. James wasn't going to tell her what was wrong and she wasn't in the mood for that at the moment anyway.

'Fine...'

The rest of the patroling was silent. Very different from the previous ones, where James became ver talkative and funny. Now he was just nervous and weird.

'Well, that's us...' she said, walking through the portrait hole and going into the Common Room being followed by James.

'Yep. G'night, Lils.' He said, simply. James walked up past her and climbed his stairs, leaving Lily alone.

'Boys... they're worst than girls on their periods...' she muttered to herself, going to her dorm.

Two hours 'til dusk. Than, the full moon would approach and Remus would start ripping his skin off and biting himself. The process was very painful, but having Padfoot, Wormtail and Prongs there seemed to ease the tension and even the pain on most nights. As Poppy walked Remus into the pathway underneath the Whimping Willow, he looked back at the Castle, where his best mates would be waiting for the right time to get the Cloak and get down there with him. Peter would poke the root and the tree would stop and the other two, shapped as large animals, would go inside and help the werewolf. Remus sighed.

Everynight he worried about getting them killed. He didn't want to, but he couldn't help himself as a beast. He didn't think straight and that could cause a lot of trouble. Besides, if anyone found out, they would all be shipped to Azkaban immediately.

'Relax, Moony, we've got it covered...' that's what Sirius said, in a nonchalant tone, everytime Remus voiced his thoughts.

'Here, dear. Will you be ok?' asked Madame Pomfrey. Remus nodded and she left, patting him on the shoulder. 'I will see you at dawn...' and she left.

_And now we wait..._ he thoughts, sighing yet again.

It was almost ten and Lily was finishing up the rounds with Aaron Diggory. It hadn't been hard for James to convince him to do it and it was really nice of him to help, but Lily truly wanted to murder him now. He was so incredibly dull. The only thing he ever talked about was Quidditch. Quidditch, Quidditch, bloody Quidditch. Players, techniques, tactics, history, brooms... And it was all so incredibly annoying, stupid and boring. Lily wanted to pull out her arm just so she could have something to throw at him.

They didn't find any Slytherins in the corridors, of course, because after the quarrel between James, Mulciber, Bellatrix and Snape, Dumbledore was keeping a close eye on the House. And so were the ghosts, portraits and Professor Slughorn.

'I cannot believe they'd do such horrendous things!' exclaimed the Potions Master after Lily told him and Dumbledore what had happened. 'It is preposterous indeed! My own house! What a shame!'

Lily agreed and she was happy that there was no more trouble. But it still didn't help with the Diggory-is-so-inssufferably-boring situation. She would kill Hestia for squealing when she told the news. _He's a blast, indeed..._ she thought sarcastically, rolling her eyes at the mention of another wonderful tactic in a 1965 game between the Canons and Puddlemere. They were near the Entrance when Lily saw sillhouettes at the distance, near the Forest. _Is that...? No, it can't be! James told me he goest to the Shrieking Shack!_ She thought. Lily fully stopped and Diggory stopped a few feet after her.

'Everything ok?' he asked. 'Is there anyone in the Forest?'

'Hm, I don't know...' she said, trying to see better.

Another sillhouette, now of a large dog that was definitely not a werewolf passed. And another one... A huge animal. It was... _Is that a stag? There aren't stags in the woods here! There aren't dogs either, if you think of it?_

'Did you see that?'she asked.

'What?'

'Those animals!'

'I didn't see anything, Lily, sorry...'

She shook her head, her red hair falling from the knot she had made on top of it and stuck with two sticks. She picked them up.

'I must've seen things, then... Probably just tired... We should be getting back anyway...' Lily planned to go into the boys dorm and ask them if Remus usually ran free through the grounds. Yes, that was a good plan. And it came with the bonus of not having to spend anymore time with Diggory.

'I'll take you to the Gryffindor Tower...'

'You don't have to, really.'

'It's no problem.'

Lily sighed and went with him.

Once they had arrived, Lily was hoping he would leave, but no. Of course not.

'Yes?' she said. 'I can't say the password with you here, Diggory...'

'I just wanted to see if you accept going to Hogsmeade with me and all...'

Lily stared at him. She didn't have time for that! There was a werewolf and animals and all that! Diggory was talking jibberish!

'Look, it's not that I don't like you as a friend and all that, but I'd rather not, sorry...' she said, hesitantly.

'Is this because of Potter?' he bellowed, suddenly angry.

'What? Why does it have to be?'

'Because you're all friendly all of a sudden and now you don't want to date me!'

'Look, Diggory, I would've said no even if I wasn't friends with James... The fact that you can't talk about anything but Quidditch didn't really sell you there, my friend. Plus, my business with James is none of yours! Now, could you please leave so I can go get some sleep?'

He then did something she'd never expected him to do. He kissed her. He stole a kiss from her! That had only happened once and it was James. In second year. So that was understandable, since they were twelve and all... And James' lips tasted minty... _Stop thinking about that!_ Lily thought, as she pushed Diggory and his mouth away.

'What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?' she yelled, trying to wipe out her mouth.

'I really—'

'Don't even! You just want to date me because James isn't asking me out anymore! Leave, please, and don't you ever try that with me again!' she yelled again, pointing him East. He pouted and left, his fists closed in anger. 'What a git! A twelve-year-old is fine, but to do that at seventeen is just ridiculous!' he muttered, then said the password and went it. Lily then climbed the stairs to the boys dorm and knocked. No answer. She knocked again. _What the hell?_

She opened the door and it was empty.

'They can't still be at the Library, we checked there...' then a thought came to her head. 'They are not with...? Oh, Merlin! No, no, no! They don't! No!' she started mumbling really fast, pacing throught the bedroom. She sat at James' bed. It was very neat. Not anal-neat, like Remus', but it wasn't a dump, like Peter's, or a weird dog-like mess, like Sirius'. Lily buried her face in her hands.

'Where are those idiots? They can't be with Remus! They're going to get themselves killed!' she said to no one. 'I'll wait here. I'll wait here for them. I mean, they have to show up eventually, right?' and so she did. Lily Evans waited.

It was well past 3 in the morning when Lily was awaken by sounds coming from the door. She woke up groggy, observed her surroundings and remembered why she was in James Potter's bed, that wonderful smell of expensive Cologne and the natural boy scent he carried all arround her. _Wake up the reality, Evans!_ The door opened and she got up.

'Where have you-? Oh, Merlin!'

Sirius, James and Peter walked in. They were wounded and bleeding. The three of them seemed shocked to see her there.

'What are you doing here?' asked Peter, shyly.

'I can ask you the same question!' she said, trying to avoid looking at the bloody coming out of a large wound in James' shoulder.

'We live here, Evans, whereas you don't...' said Sirius, sounding bored and sleepy. 'Now, could you leave—'

'No, I can't leave! I demand an exaplanation as to why you weren't helping Peter at the Library like you said you would and why was werewolf-Remus running free through the Forest last night! Yes, I saw it, Peter, stop looking so surprised.' That was, in fact, the look on all of their faces. Surprise. She'd seen them and she was confronting them. 'You could've died! And-and! He's a werewolf and he bit you! I mean...'

'It's ok, Lils...' said James, in a soothing voice that almost made Lily believe that that was true. 'We'll be fine... These are just scratched, we're used to them already...'

'He's more friedndly in the cold, Moony...'murmured Sirius, receiving nods from the other two.

'But! How! What?'

'I think we ought to tell her, now that she saw us anyway...' said Peter.

'Prongs, you do the honors, then...'

James sighed.

'Tell me what?'

'Sit down and I'll begin.' James said. 'But let me heal these first, they're killing me..' he got a bottle from his nightstand and started putting dome of its content on his shoulder and passing it on to Sirius and Peter. He then sighed again and sat on his bed, next to Lily, who had a frown.

'Does it hurt that bad?'

'It's better now...'

'Did he do that to you?'

'Yes...' her eyes got wide.

'Are you-?'

'No, I won't. That's what I have to tell you. Lily, we, the three of us, are Animagi. Illegal Animagi, to be more specific...'

The he started. He told her how they found out that Remus was a werewolf on second year and how they wanted to help. He told her that werewolves don'f affect animals or Animagi and so they decided to become that. That Sirius and James studied really hard for three years and tried and tried and tried and finnaly made in in the beginning of fifth year. He told her how, on every full moon, they got James' Cloak of Invisibility – cause apparently he had one! – and went to the Whimping Willow, where Peter, as rat, pressed the knot to stop the tree. He told her about what they did with Remus as a werewolf; played with him, ran with him and kept him under control. Sirius as a large, bear-like black dog, and James as a stag. The beautiful, majestic stag Like had seen that evening. He then told her about a stupid prank that Sirius had played on Snape and how James had to save him really quickly when he found out. Snape had almost found the werewolf and could've been killed. After that, James didn't speak to Sirius for several weeks, being so mad at him. After he finished talking, almost two hours later, Lily was in awe. So many emotions and feelings running through her. She was proud of them, scared for them and angry at them. And she felt tears coming out of her eyes.

'You... you...'

'Evans, you can't tell that to anyone! We'll get expelled and kicked to Azkaban if Dumbledore finds out!' Sirius said. Peter nodded in agreement.

'I won't... I promise.' She said in a small voice. 'Where is he?'

James looked at his watch.

'Poppy already picked him up by now, so he's probably at the Hospital Wing...'

Lily nodded. She leaned forward and hugged James. He stared at her, shocked and not knowing what to do.

'I'm proud of you, boys... And scared for your sakes and really, really angry at your irresponsability...' she said, burying her face on his chest and letting her tears fall. He ran his hand through her hair and let her cry.

'I'm sorry... We had to do this for Remus... The process is excruciatingly painful and us being there for him helps... It does, he told us...' he said, calmy. She nodded. Lily looked up and saw Sirius and Peter with heads bowed.

'I know... Just, please, don't get killed. Either of you... Please.'

Sirius smirked. 'Don't worry... We're pretty savvy.' He said, nonchalantly. Lily snorted.

'Yes, yes you are... I should go now...' she got up and gave them a last look. She smiled to ensure that they knew she wasn't mad at them and that it was very noble what they did for their friend. Then she left to her go back to her dorm and try to get some sleep before she actually had to wake up.

_N/A: UUUH! She found out! Exciting! What will happen next? R&R! _


	7. Aftermath of Telling the Truth

_N/A: WOW, guys! Can I just say to everyone that's reading this: you rule! Siriusly (come on, we all love the Sirius pun!) I hope you enjoy this and all that sappy stuff! ^^ Thank you! Now on to chapter 7! By the way, I'm sorry about the layout, I still haven't quite got the hang of the website… Hehe. _

…

#7 – Aftermath of Telling the Truth

Lily Evans woke up startled. She was sweating hard and her head hurt. She had a nightmare. It was James, as a stag, running around the Forest and a hunter chasing him a shotting him down. He was bleeding. The thought of that made her shake her head and get up really quickly. Ever since the boys told her about their secret, she had been having those dreams. Only about the stag, though... No rats, no dogs, no wolves... Just a stag. A beautifully majestic stag, with charming antlers and funny eyes.

She sighed as she entered the shower. _Five in the morning, goddammit!_ She thought. Two hours til breaksfast and at least one hour before her friends got up. Lily decided to take a long shower, then, and let the water wash away her fears. She then chuckled when she remembered the scene of the Disney cartoon, Bambi, where the hunter kills his mum. She always cried at this scene... It seemed strangely familia to her now, with the whole situation, and she found it rather amusing.

After a half hour of watery bliss, Lily left the bathroom, changed, magically dried her hair and left. She sat at the Common Room and started reading the Charms textbook.

'Wow, Evans... We don't even have Charms today...' said Sirius Black, cominh down the stairs, with a sort of mockery tone in his voice.

'I'm just bored, that's all...' she whispered. He sat down next to her in front of the fire. As autumn went by and the winter approached, the weather was starting to get cold. Not that it wasn't always cold, since they were somewhere in the North of Scotland. The fire was dancing brightly and Lily couldn't take her eyes off of it.

'Evans... You seem... worried?'

'I am, Sirius.' She said, realising that it was the first time she actually called him by his first name. She had referred to him by it for a long time now, but never in front of him. 'I'm worried about all of you... That's all.'

Sirius looked at her. He nodded.

'Thanks.' He said. Lily shot him a weird glance. 'It's nice to have people worrying about my well-being, that's all...'

'What do you mean?' she asked.

'Well, my parents never really liked me all that much, so that was that. My cousins, aunts and uncles are from hell, except Andromeda, she's nice... They kicked me out during the Summer...' he said, calmly, like it was normal for parents to kick their sons out of their home.

'Oh my God...' she said, shocked. 'Where are you-? Are you ok?'

He chuckled.

'Yes... I told James about it and he didn't even blink. He told me to pack my stuff and move in... I've been living with the Potters since...'

Lily's eyes met Sirius'. She saw then how much he loved James. They were best friends... Brothers... They admired each other and they mocked each other... But most of all, they were always there for each other. And that was what the whole Animagi thing was about. Being there for Remus.

'You are really close, uh?' she said, smiling.

'He's my brother, Evans... That's why I was so harsh on you... He's helped me through all my family issues and he's done everything for me, accepted me and even took care of me when I had given up on myself. He took me back after that stupid prank and he gave me a home... I don't want to see him get hurt. Again, and again... As I have in the last few years. I hope you can understand that.'

Lily nodded. She did understand. But she genuinely wanted to be friends with James. And all of the other three, for that matter.

'Sirius, I really like you guys... You make my days brighter... I've never had that much fun in my life, ever! I just want peace...' she whispered again, looking at the fire. Sirius looked at it as well.

'Good, then we're ok, Lily...'

She looked at him and smiled widely.

'You called me Lily!'

'Sod off!' she pushed her by the shoulder like a brother would. Lily felt a warmth in her heart. The fact that he accepted her now somehow made Lily feel better. She giggled.

'Hello, children...' said James, followed by Remus, coming down the staircase. He gave them a weird look and smiled, realising what had happened. So did Remus. 'Shall we go for breakfast?'

'You go on, I'll wait for the girls...' she said.

'I'll wait with you... Em asked me to wait for her, so..'

'Whipped!' exclaimed Sirius, while he and James walked towards the portrait hole. They laughed.

... ... ... ... ...

Ok, she said she wasn't worried anymore, but that wan't quite true, was it? Everytime Lily looked at any of the boys, she remembered their bloody clothes and wounds. And she couldn't take the dreams off her mind. It was enfuritating.

'Lily? Lils?' she head Mary call her. Apparently she'd been daydreaming. 'Class is over...' she said.

'Oh, right...' she got up and went with her friends.

'What's with you lately? I know History of Magic is boring, but you never daydream... And even the Marauders were paying attention to this class...' said Hestia.

'I... hm... Just a lot of stuff in my mind, that's all...'

'Do you need to talk about it?' suggested Emmeline.

'Nah, I'll be fine.' She forced a smile and entered the Great Hall for lunch. The girls joined her and they sat next to the Marauders, where it was now their regular spot on the table. Of course, this alone gained them lots of haters throughout the school. Emmeline had actually got death threat letters just for dating Remus. Lily kept imagining what would happen if James or Sirius ever got a girlfriend. She might as well be a ghost, because they'd be dead in seconds. That made her giggle.

'Ok, Lily, you're very weird today!' exclaimed Hestia, lifting an eyebrow. The boys stared at Lily.

'Sorry! I remembered that evil letter that Em got and I try to picture what would happen if the others got girlfriends. I mean, James and Sirius, no offence, Pete.'

'Non taken.'

'What letter?'

'Hm... I forgot to tell you about that...' said Emmeline, smiling shyly then shooting a deaht glare at Lily, who shrunk at her seat. 'Some Ravenclaw girl thought it would be funny to kind of sent me a threat letter because I'm dating you and all that... It's no big deal, nothing happened...'

'WHAT?' his eyes got really wide and for a moment Lily saw the werewolf in there. 'Since when do girls care about me?'

Lily knew. Of course they liked Remus... A small share of them, put it was a fair number anyway. He was smart, funny and kind. Besided, the fact that he was handsome helped a great deal. He light brown hair fell messy but tidy at the same time, it wasn't elegant like Sirius' or unruly like James', and it had a goody-two-shoes air to it. His eyes were light-coloured and sparkly, and they always seemed to smile. Remus was a very handsome boy, but he was the only one who didn't see it. Apparently the self-hatred because of the whole lycanthropy thing affected his entire life.

'Because you're amazing, that's all...' Emmeline said, smiling. Remus blushed.

'Awn, aren't they adorable?' said Sirius through a mouthful of potatoes.

'Manners!' said James. Sirius jumped on his seat.

'Could you be less like your dad for once?'

'Nope.' He laughed. Sirius rolled his eyes. Remus and Peter smiled.

There was probably something special about James' father, but the girls were oblivious.

'Anyway! Lily! Weird!' said Hestia, trying to get back to the conversation and figure out what was going on with her friend.

'I'm not weird... I just haven't got much sleep lately, that's all...' she said in a small voice. 'Maybe... maybe you're weird!' and she pointed at Hestia like a 10-year-old.

'Wow. That was... Just... Wow.' She couldn't find the words to describe the weirdness of her friend.

The others laughed. Soon dinner was over and they were able to go back to the Gryffindor Tower.

'I'm beat. G'night, fellas!' said Emmeline, kissing Remus and leaving. She was followed by Hestia, who said she needed her beauty sleep. Only the Marauders, Lily and Mary were left. Lily really wanted a chance to talk to the boys alone, but she didn't want to throw her best mate out of the Common Room. She looked nervously around the room. James picked that up and got up.

'Hey, Lils, can I talk to you?' he asked. 'In private?'

Lily nodded furiously, following James out of the portrait hole. Their friends seemed confused, but shrugged.

'What's going on? You have acted weird lately...' he said, looking into her eyes.

She sighed. 'I'm worried about you. All of you!' she said. 'I know I said it was ok and all that, but I'm having a real hard time getting over the image of your wounds and blood and all that...'

James looked down.

'I'm sorry... I shouldn't've told you...'

'No! I'm glad you did! Now I feel like I can protect you... It's just... I've been having these dreams...' and she looked down. Lily really didn't want to tell _him _about the dreams. She wasn't sure how he would react or if he'd go back to his cocky, arrogant, 5th-year self.

'What kind of dream?' he sounded genuinely concerned and, looking into hi eyes, Lily realised that that person had been just a façade, a mask, and it wasn't a reality. She could trust James. Hell, she did trust him. With her life, if anyone asked. But of course, she'd never admit. Since they were only friends.

'Well... It's that scene from Bambi where the hunter kills his mum... But it's you intead... As a stag. And it's on repeat. Same dream...' she said, shyly, staring at her shoes.

'Oh...'

'I'm probably more worried about you because I'm closer to you than the other two... So—'

'Yeah, of course. I don't like you worrying about me... I'm not going to run through the meadows like a real deer, Lily... I just transform for the full moon...' he said, his voice pained with the regret of telling her and letting her be worried. That was the last thing he wanted. For Lily to be worried. Well, it did feel good, to have her worrying about him, but he didn't care for her being all woozy and weird and sad.

'Sorry...' she said, her voice coming out a little shaky.

'No worries... It's good that you care. It means you have a good heart, Lily... Come here...' he pulled her into a bear hug and she let out a relieved sigh.

'Thank you for not being mad at me for seeing you and waiting in your dorm and making you tell me a risky secret... Well, thanks for trusting me...' she said, burying her face in his chest just like she did when he told her. He smelled of cologne, good, expensive cologne... But not too much, just a small touch not to hide his natural boyish, incredible scent. She felt his chuckles.

'It's the price of being friends, I reckon...'

'Yeah... We're friends...' she pushed away from him. 'I'm friends with James Potter...' Lily laughed.

He laughed too. 'Indeed you are, my dear... Meet your doom!'

They both laughed for a few minutes before calming down and looking at each other.

'Let's go in?'

She nodded. They entered and the room was empty.

'Well, off to bed so I can enjoy a wonderful day of classes tomorrow fully recharged!' he said, smiling broadly.

'Good night... Have sweet dreams...'

'You too... Stop dreaming about animals from the wilderness, will you? I want you fully awaken for patrol tomorrow night...' he said, smirking and going to his dorm room.

Lily shook her head. 'Insufferable...' she muttered, smiling, and going up her own stairs.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

_N/A.: well, that's that for this one... I do hope you're enjoying this... Not much tension here, as you can see – first because I suck at writing tense stuff, second because it's too early for that! We still have the x-mas break, Easter, summer, seventh year... so much! Oh, dear! Anyways, R&R, if you like, which I would really like if you did, you see, because any feedback is great! Or ideas! I don't need to write this by myself, you can help! Yey! _

_On our way to chapter 8! Trying to think of a cool catch phrase... Marauder-out! Oh, that was lame... _

_Ah! In case you want to know, I'll list here my dreamcast for the Marauders and friends: _

_ Alice – Kate Winslet (with short hair!) _

_ Frank – Andrew Garfield _

_ Hestia – Olivia Wilde _

_ Mary – Leighton Meester_

_ Emmeline – AJ Cook _

_ Bellatrix – Rachel Weisz _

_ Snape – Trent Reznor (with the hair! Right? Oooh! So much alike!) _

_ Mulciber – Kurt Cobain_

_ [I do not know why the bad guys are singers... it just hit me...] _

_ Lily – Karen Gillan_

_ James – Matthew Gray Gubler _

_ Sirius – Ben Barnes_

_ Remus – Arthur Darvil_

_ Peter – Kyle Gallner_

_That's it! Yey! Ok, bye now!_


	8. The First Quidditch Match

_N/A: Yey! Reviews! Yey! People are actually reading this! Thank you, thank you so so sooo much! I hope you enjoy the next chapter! Off you go, now, I'm blabbing, just read! ^^_

#8 – The First Quidditch Match

[James' P.O.V.]

She hugged me! Lily Evans hugged me! I still couldn't get over it… I couldn't stop thinking about her soft hair against my cheek and… Oh, man! _She_ hugged me! She _hugged _me! She hugged _me_! Yes, that was pretty exciting and I am rather sorry for this fangirl attack I'm having. You see, I'm a pretty popular guy, if I can say it… We, the Marauders, are always srrounded by people and stuff, but I've always liked Lily and only her. And she's pretty popular herself. I mean, some girls swoon over me – should I even use that word? Does it sound to conceited? -, but only some compared to what Sirius gets… But guys? They form queues after her… Of course they do… She had the prettiest ginger hair. It's long with waves all the way down and little curls in the bottom. Her eyes are like emerald stones and they glow so majestically… Sorry, I just love her so much! I love the way she speaks, the way the dresses, the way she laughs, her smile – with that little snort that comes out when she finds something really really funny, and I can say that it's because of that wonderful sound that I decided that I wanted to be one of the funniest guys in school – and, especially, the way she cares about everyone. Her friends are so important to her and she doesn't have prejudice. She doesn't care if you're pureblood, muggleborn, half-blood, rich, poor… Lily is a wonderful person and that is why I love her. And that is why I know she'll never love me back… I'm not that.

Yes, I may be pretty good looking on my best days, and I think I'm quite smart, but I'm not the guy for her… She deserves everything in the world… Lily deserves a king, an Emperor, a Chancellor or something… Not me. I'm nothing compared to her… Poor me and my godforsaken flaws…

Anyway, I got up the stairs after our little shared moment, about which I was really excited, I must say, since it wasn't an everyday thing for me to hear Lily saying she had nightmares about my Bambi's-mother-like death. When I got to the dorm room, the guys were still awake, Sirius and Petter trying to steal some chocolate from Remus' pseudo-secret-stash that we all knew it was under his bed.

'Let it go!' he said, trying to punch his chocolates out of Padfoot's arms. Unfortunately for him, Padfoot was stronger than he looked, and Remus wasn't strong at all, so you can guess who won that.

'What's up with him?' asked Peter, poiting at me and my probably very stupidly smiling face as I leaned on the door.

Padfoot and Moony stopped fighting to look at me. The former came closer.

'I think… I think he's on something…' he said, trying to see into my eyes.

'Maybe he's sick…' said Peter.

'Or maybe Lily said something that made him _really_ happy…' suggested Remus, with a smirk, picking his chocolates from the floor.

I came to and stared at them.

'She hugged me…' I said, simply, and couldn't stop smiling.

'Did she now? Friendly hug? Lustful hug? Did you cup a feel or something?' said Sirius, smirking as well. Three pairs of hands starting smacking his head after he said that. 'It's a legilimate question!'

'Shut up! It was nothing like that! She was concerned for my – our – well-being and she hugged me.'

'What?'

'Remember how we told her about our little secret? Well, she became really worried even though she told us that everything was fine. Tonight, when Lily asked to talk to me, she just wanted to be sure that we were safe and all that… Then we hugged…'

They all nodded. I knew I sounded like I goon even if I wanted to sound nonchaland and cool.

'Ok… That doesn't matter now, though, because you need to get some sleep!' said Sirius, putting on a serious face. Yes, that pun was intended.

'You have Quidditch in two days!' said Peter, excitedly.

'And practice tomorrow morning before breakfast…' said Remus matter-of-factly.

I nodded and went to brush my teeth. I couldn't sleep, though. She was very much alive in me, I could still smell her straberry shampoo and feel her porcelain skin… Oh, how much I love that girl! Why, Merlin, do I have to be such a 1920s woman about these things?

When I realised it was time to get up and I had spent the entire night planning our wedding in my head. Again, such a girl.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

The rest of the week went fine, with Quidditch practice and classes going overall all right, although I would very much like to state that Runes was starting to get pretty boring.

It was soon Quidditch day. I loved the first same of the season, it was the most fun. We didn't pressure regarding the points and the other team was usually scared of us, since we'd been winning the Cup for the past 4 years.

We were playing Hufflepuff that day, so I wasn't nervous. Aaron Diggory kind of tried to taunt me the night before at a prefects meeting, but I scared him off with a death glare. Lily seemed careful towards him, almost angry or something. It was weird because she was friendly with everybody, and they were friends as far as I knew. But that didn't matter, because as soon as Quidditch started, I couldn't care less about the rest of the Houses. They were all enemies. It was war.

'You have to kick their arses!' said Hestia, sitting in fron of me on the breakfast table. 'That son of a bitch Diggory is going to wish he'd never been born!'

'I thought you liked him…' said Sirius, with a tedious tone of voice. He looked pretty tired, which was probably due the practices we'd had in the past few days.

'I though so, too!' she bellowed, hitting her bun with the fork. 'But the little bitch just blew everything up by being a wanker!' she said. She may have used a little foul-er language right there, but I would like to spare of it.

'What do you mean?' asked Remus. The three of us looked at her curiously. Even Sirius left his tired-sleepy-nervous state. We could definitely trust her to tell us any gossip since the other girls weren't there to shut her up and she loved to gossip anyways.

'Wait… You don't know? I was sure Em had told you!' she said, looking at him. Sirius and I looked at him as well, waiting for a response.

'Nope, she doesn't tell me any interesting stuff…' he said, smiling. We went back to Hestia.

'So..?' I asked. I was already nervous for Quidditch and impatient, and she wasn't particularly helping.

'You have to promise to not be all mad and James-like, though…' she told me. I found it weird that she'd only asked me to do that, but I nodded nonetheless. 'Ok… So, remember when you asked Diggory to fill in for you with Lily?'

Of course I remembered. It was the night where everything changed. Our whole dynamics changed. She was in now, Lily, and she understood and kept the secret and I loved her even more for that. All of us agreed with a nod.

'Well, on that night, before she entered the Common Room, Diggory professed his crush for her and whatnot and… bloody hell, you're gonna kill him, I just know… then he kind of, may have stole a kiss from her…'

'What!'I heard myself shriek. All I wanted to do was get up and punch that jerk senseless, but I though that'd be quite hypocritical given the circumstances that led to my first kiss, which I stole from Lily, by the way. But I was twelve! Twelve-year-olds are allowed to be stupid! That guy was eighteen! Eighteen bloody years of age! You don't just do that! Especially to her! She deserves a proper kiss with moonlight, candles, music and all that romantic stuff you see in Muggle films!

'James, calm down.' I heard Remus say. I nodded. My fists were clenched really tight and my knuckles were getting white.

'Mate, let's go to the Pitch and you can use my bat to beat some Bludgers, eh?' said Sirius, pulling me up and getting me out of there before I did something stupid. Smart move, I'd say.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

The match was about to begin and I was going to give my Captain speech. My team was looking at me aprehensively. Apparently Sirius had told them I wasn't in the best mood.

He was my Beater, the other one was a tall and bulky forth-year named KingsleyHarrison. We also had Marlene McKinnon and Gwenog Jones – who was Hestia's elder cousin, a seventh year – as my fellow Chasers, Billius Prewett, also a seventh year, as our Keeper – he was Molly Weasley and Fabian and Gideon Prewett's younger brother, which made him awesome – and last but not least, our new Seeker, who was a third year muggleborn called Matthew Grayson. It was a really good team, and I'm not even being cocky.

'Hey, everyone! Let's gather round, please…' I started. 'I want us to go out there and kick some serious Hufflepuff arse! Let's wipe that little loyal, hard-workin, patient and friggin true smile out of their bloody faces!' I yelled. They all yeled along and we did our little hand-shaking thing. Which is too lame to put in words. And there we went. I grabbed my Nimbus 1000 that was given to me by my amazing Dad after I first joined the team in my second year, and I followed them. We got to the threshold and waited for out call. Grayson next to me, Sirius and Harrison behind us, McKinnon and Jones behind them, followed by Prewett.

I heard Madame Hooch call our names and we flew. It was the best feeling. There's nothing more relaxing than flying. On Quidditch days, I drop my glasses and go for the magical lenses my Mum always wants me to wear, since they don't keep falling off my nose, like the spectacles do. So it was just this blissful feeling of total and utter freedom. I loved it.

And there we stood. In front of the Hufflepuff team. Diggory and I were face-to-face and Madame Hooch made us shake hands. I just wanted to take his arm out of its socket and beat it him with it. We crushed each others hands and went back to our teams.

'I want a fair game, children. No foul play!' the coach said, giving us stern looks. She then nodded at me and at Diggory and threw the Quaffle. I flew along with my Chasers and the Hufflepuffs to get it, and she blew the whistle. McKinnon got hold of the Quaffle first and started to fly away with it. She then passed it to Jones who had a Bludger aimed at her, but Sirius was quick and beat it away. I was next to the first ring and Jones threw the ball at me. I was quick to score. 10-0 us. Sirius and Harrison were beating Bludgers senseless and I was pretty sure Sirius was trying to aim at Diggory, who seemed to be getting nervous and paranoid. Great. I could use that to my advantage.

The match went on and still no Snitch. I looked at Grayson who gave me an apologetic look and I responded with a nod. The game was 80-20, so it was all right. The Hufflepufs were very persistent when trying to score, but they could only do that if they got the Quaffle, which was almost always in my possession or any of the girls', and, if they did get it, they'd have to score past Prewett, who had only let 7 goals in last year. Overall.

Suddenly, I saw Grayson move really fast downwards. He had spotted the Snitch. I could hear the crowd cheering. From far away, I saw those beautiful red curls jumping up and down as Lily screamed at him to go faster. Diggory was catching up with him quickly and I flew to try and get as many points as I could before any of them caught the Snitch. McKinnon and Jones got the cue and we flew together, in a triangular formation, McKinnon in the middle, holding the Quaffle, me and Jones behind her. I dodged a Bludger and saw Sirius using it to almost kick the Hufflepuff Beater out of her broom. She was a bulky girl… If you looked at her without knowing, she could be easily mistaken for a guy. Or The Thing from that Muggle comic book.

We managed to get 3 more goals in before we heard the whistle. I was scared to see who had the Snitch because we only had 110 points and they'd win by 60 if Diggory had caught it. But then I heard the announcement.

'GRYFFINDOR WINS WITH 260 AGAINS HUFFLEPUFF'S 20!' bellowed the Ravenclaw doing the commentary. I raised my fist the air and was met by hugs from the girls. We flew and hugged Grayson, who held the little golden ball in his hand like it was some prize or something. It was his first game and he'd caught the Snitch. I was glad I had picked him.

'Man, I'm so proud!' I told him, hugging him really tight. The girls did the same and I met Sirius.

'Mate! We won!' he said.

'Yes. We did! Can I go punch Diggory now?' I asked, laughing.

'I don't thing he needs to be punched.' He pointed at a defeated Diggory. His body language said so. I smiled widely.

'Wanker… Deserved it…' I muttered. Then smiled again after hearing the crowd singing. _Go! Go Gryffindor! Go! Go Gryffindor! _

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**N/A: Look at that! Eight chapters and I don't even know how many to go! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my Quidditch… See? Tension? Uuuuh… What's gonna happen next? **

**He, he… Anyway, I didn't put Diggory on my Dreamcast, did I? Well, I was thinking of a less incredibly-handsome version of Chris Evans… Be that as it may, I shall say my goodbyes now. Review if you like and Marauder-on!**

**P.S.: I will be using that, wether you like it or not. **


	9. Silver Lights and Bottles Up!

_**N/A: I just realised that I write Note of the Author as opposed to Author's Note… Oh well, anyway! Did you enjoy the James' POV? I really like writing those, but this chapter will remain 3**__**rd**__** person'd, ha, ha. Thank you for the reviews, by the way, loved them! Well, enjoy chapter 9!**_

#9 – Silver Lights and bottles up!

November had begun and with it came a relentless rain that wouldn't quit. For a week it had been raining. Not that Lily Evans would complain, because she loved the rain. She was also strangely proud of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, of which she was never the biggest supporter – you see, she never really enjoyed Quidditch and the fact that her arch-enemy was such an enthusiast made her dislike it even more – but the season had started in a great foot, what with the total and utter defeat of the biggest toerag on Earth, Aaron Diggory. Plus, she got a chance to see that beautifully blissful smile on James'… NO! She always said to herself when thinking those thoughts. _You do _NOT_ think James' smile is beautiful! Stop it now, Evans!_ Anyway, the last few games had been easy on Gryffindor. Slyhterin had beated Hufflepuff as well, but they lost for Ravenclaw, who lost for Gryffindor by 20 points. All because Serena Lovegood, a third year who was the little sister of the complete mental now-graduated Xenophilius Lovegood, was wearing a massive Raven head on her own head which made shrieking noises everytime Ravenclaw touched the Quaffle and everytime a Gryffindor approached the rings. It was very loud, distracting and disturbing. But the thing that mattered to Lily was that her House was winning in the Cup and the House competitions, which hadn't happened in years!

Now, she was walking to the Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson with Mary, Hestia and Emmeline. They loved that class, even if Professor Merriwheter was a tad boring. He was their new teacher, and he was a very experienced former Auror who may-or-may-not have fought in the First Wizard War and who wrote tons of DADA books. He was also very old and skinny and bald. He looked a bit like an Inferi, but healthier. His voice was loud and sharp, and his eyes looked very suspicious at all the students.

'This old fart won't last a month! He'll be dead by Christmas!' Sirius Black had said, after their first class of the year.

'Yeah, as long as he remembers his dead and doesn't keep teaching, it's fine by me…' commented James, at which they all laughed.

Thinking back now, Lily really was susprised that he hadn't died yet. He seemed older than Dumbledore! And at least the Headmaster had hair, which made him look deadly cute not dead full stop.

Anyhow, they arrived at the door of the classroom to find that the boys were already there.

'Hey, guys…' said Hestia, leaning agains the wall next to Sirius, who nodded.

'Hello!' said James excitedly. He had been very animated lately. He loved Quidditch and winning was really getting him going.

'Excited to the class?' Lily asked, knowing the answer would be no.

'Oh, yes… I can't wait to find out which magical creature he forgot we had already studied today… Maybe Grindylows?' said Remus sarcastically.

'Nah… I'll put my money on doxies…'

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'Ah, hello, students… Take your seats and open your books at the page 257, please…' Professor Merriwhether said. 'Answer this, you have have heard of Dementors, yes?'

The class filled with all Houses nodded. The girls and the Marauders were sitting in the back.

'Good, good. Now, how can you, how can I say this?, stop a Dementor? Mr. Lupin?'

'Hm… With a Patronus Charm, sir.' Remus said, quite confidently.

Lily knew what a Patronus was, of course, but she couldn't make one. She and her friends tried last term before the O.W.L.s but it seemed virtually impossible.

'Yes, you're quite right. That is what we'll start practicing right away. They are utmostly necessary for you N.E.W.T.s and incredibly useful outside of school as well. Faster than owls, they are, of course… Good for communications. Now! I'd like you to briefly read the introduction of this chapter and then we'll spend the rest of the double period on practice work.' He said. The students started as soon as he stopped, since they were really excited for practice work, which was rare with him. _"I teach the theory and you must practice on your own time!"_ he'd say, to which the Marauders would smirk at each other and use that as an excuse to play around in the corridors. Including James. And Remus.

'Argh! I hate this!' said Hestia as soon as they began practice work. She wasn't very successful with her Patronus, which came out just a little sprinkle of silver. Lily's was the same. Emmeline and Mary couldn't even get that. 'Look at them! I hate it!'she pointed at the boys. They were laughing while Sirius made a large silver dog jump around Peter and try and lick his face.

'How are they doing this?' asked Mary.

Professor Merriwhether approached them and nodded at the boys, who smiled broadly. The girls decided to take advantage of their friends' intelligence and get help.

'Heeey…' said Emmeline, holding onto Remus' arm. 'Help!' she then said, desperately.

They chuckled.

'Just think of your happiest memory…' said Sirius.

'And stuff with food doesn't help… Believe me, Peter's tried, eh, Wormy?' Said James

Peter nodded and pointed his wand. 'Expecto Patronum.' He said. A small silver rat came out of his wand. Lily realised now that their Patronuses were their Animagus forms.

'This is brilliant!' said Mary, clapping her hands. James and Remus pointed their wands, but didn't need to say it. Huge silver shapes came out of their own wands. A large wolf was standing next to Remus, looking very proud. And a majestic, tall and handsome stag was chasing Sirius' dog, looking pompous.

'Wow!' the girls said in unison.

'Pretty cool, eh? We got the hang of them in… Fifth year? Yep… Beginning of last year…' said Sirius, stroking his dog before it vanished. Peter's rat also vanished, followed by Remus' wolf.

'Yours is lasting a long time there, Prongs…'

'I guess his happy memory is really happy…' laughed Sirius and James blushed.

'Shut up!' he said, but the stag was still there, beautifully pompous.

The bell rang so the class gathered their things and left for the break.

'It completely blows that we can't make Patronuses!' said Hestia, pouting, her arms crossed.

'You just have to practice and focus…' said Peter. 'Merlin knows how many tries it took me before I could get it…'

'Of course, Pete! All of the memories you picked involved food! They're no good!' said Sirius.

'The memories have to be pretty good in order to work… Like, they make you so happy you can't believe your luck that that happened to you…' James said, looking down and smiling slightly.

'Right… So what's your memory, Potter?' asked Hestia. The other three girls looked at him.

'I'm not going to tell you! It's private!' he said.

'Is is stupid or something?' asked Mary, lifting an eyebrow. Sirius snorted, receiving a smack on the head by James.

'It's not! It's just… I don't want to share it…' he said. Lily felt that he quickly glanced at her and turned away. Before she could tell, James and Sirius were sprinting off together to go and do something Marauder-y, probably.

'It's not a prank, Lily, they're just owling James' Mum to see if she wants them to stay here for Christmas…' Remus said, fumbling through his bag. 'Pete, we're going to the library!' he said bye to them and pulled Peter in the opposite direction.

'How did he know I was thinking that?' the redhead asked, looking surprised.

'You're always thinking that!' laughed Mary. Emmeline and Hestia giggled too. Lily shook her head.

'Rats…' she mumbled, getting more giggles.

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Fridays were the worst, Lily thought. There was the tease of a weekend being crushed by the reality of homework, and she hated it. She had spent the 3 previous hours helping Hestia and Mary at the library and now the three were arriving at the Common Room to find it nearly empty but a single person surrounded by humoungous books in a hidden corner. It was James Potter.

His hair was a mess, with his left hand holding his forehead while his right one scribbled fast throught a piece of parchment. He had at least one foot and a half written already. His mouth was ajar, so Lily could see the front of his pearly white teeth, when his licked his upper lip and bit the point of his quill to think. He then scratched his head and ruffled his hair making it – if possible – even more untidy.

'Ahem' Hestia cleared her throat, shoving Lily a little on the side. She then realised that she'd been staring at the studying figure of James for a good two minutes.

'We should, hm…' she tried to get out of it, but it was impossible.

'Hey, James!' said Mary, grinning widely are Lily's face which was escalating from pink to red to crimson and finally maroon.

He seemed startled and almost dropped the small bottle of ink next to him.

'Hm… Hey…' he said, quietly.

'Oh! Sorry to bother you!' she then said, looking truly sorry. He smiled.

'No problem… You just scared me… I was really focused.'

'What are you doing here, anyway? Emmeline said that she and Remus was going to a Ravenclaw party with Sirius and Peter, I just assumed you'd also be there…' said Hestia, sitting on a comfy chair near him. Mary and Lily joined them.

'I wasn't feeling like going to parties… And I really needed to finish this essay anyways, so…' he said, rubbing the back of his head. 'I've had this book for a few weeks now – just for reading pleasure, actually – but now that I need it, Madame Pince wants to bite my head off for it…' he pointed at a very old copy of _The Magical Bonds of the Patronus Charm_ by Elizrah Phellikis.

'Pleasure reading?'

'I ran out of fiction! Anyway! Yeah, I have to return it tomorrow and it's really good for this essay and she won't let me have it again until Merlin knows when!'

'How long is this thing, anyway?' said Mary, looking at his parchment.

His face turned as red as Lily's hair. 'I may have written a little bit more than necessary…'

'Two and a half feet? He asked for one and a half!' said Lily. 'I wrote two! I thought it was long enough!'

Hestia and Mary laughed.

'Oh, Merlin! James, I never thought I'd find someone as nerdy as Lily!' said Hestia.

'It's just for DADA and Transfiguration, though… I'd never do more than the necessary for the rest of the classes… Especially Potions… Urgh.' He looked back at his essay and ran his eyes through it, then realised it was good enough and rolled it back again. 'I was jusr proof reading when you called me.'

Mary nodded, obviously feeling better since she didn't really interrupt him.

'Are you planning on going to the party?' asked Hestia. 'I kinda was, but don't want to go alone… It's virtually impossible to get to that Common Room…'

'Nah… I was actually thinking of going to the Kitchens and grab something to eat…'

'I want to go to the party!' said Mary. 'Come on, guys! It's Friday!'

'I'm almost finishing a book…' said Lily.

'Fine! Then Hestia and I'll go and you can hang out here and eat with James, you boring person! Same goes for you, Potter!' she dragged Hestia upstairs playfully to get changed.

James sighed. 'Those Ravenclaws get really slutty when they drink… I don't think I have the stomach for that tonight…' he said.

'You mentioned food?' said Lily with a smirk.

He laughed.

'Indeed! I'll get my coat and we'll go…'

'Grand!'

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Lily and James were walking towards the Kitchens. She still had the image of him studying in her mind, and he looked amazing. Now, she felt really uncomfortable walking next to him while thinking such thoughts.

He started to whistle. Some Muggle song, Lily was sure. She knew it as well.

'What is this song? It's so familiar!' she said, glancing at him with an eyebrow lifted.

He chuckled.

'Frank Sinatra's Lady is a Tramp…' he said, smiling proudly as though he was proud to show his Muggle knowledge with a Sinatra song. Lily laughed.

'Wow… I hope you're no implying anything…' she said with a smirk.

James laughed as well.

'No, I'm not implying that you don't like California because it's too cold and too damp…' and smiled.

They had arrived at the entrance of the Kitchens and James tickled the pear.

'This is so weird…' she muttered, like she did everytime she saw that.

'Master James! Miss Lily! What can I offer you?' said a tiny elf named Minni. She had large watery eyes and saggy ears.

'Hey Minni! How are you?' he asked.

The elf went purple and squeaked. Lily chuckled.

'Could we have some of that cake we had for dessert, and…erm…' she looked at James.

'Hot dogs!' he yelled. 'Yes! Hot dogs! Four large hot dogs and a jar of pumpkin juice!'

'Yeah, that actually sounds great!' she said.

'But could you make the doggies anything but pork? Just thinking about it… ergh!' he shook his head. 'Chicken is good…'

'Yes, I can do that! It'll be just a few minutes!' the elf left to get their food.

She came back a few minutes later, with all of what they had ordered, plus a large, dripping jar of cold pumpkin juice.

'Is it weird that I love drinking stone cold juice even during the cold weather?' she asked, while they were walking back to the Gryffindor Tower.

'Nah… Cold juice rules! It's only beaten by hot cocoa…' he said, scratching his chin.

Lily nodded. 'Oh, yeah... That is good… Especially on Christmas, near the fireplace, with a bowl of marshmellows nearby.'

James agreed with a nod and a smile.

As they sat by the fireplace eating their food and talking, James was feeling the happiest person alive. Not only was he talking to lily and being friendly with her, but she truly seemed to enjoy his company. Plus the hugs! He could never forget the hugs.

The time passed extremely fast with her and when James looked at his watch, it was a little after one.

'Oh! It's kinda late…' he said, smiling.

'You look tired…' she said, with a yawn.

'So do you!'

Lily stuck her tongue out for him and all he wanted to do at that moment was kiss her. And hold her. And be with her forever. _Could you please stop with those thoughts? Merlin! _James shrugged them off and looked at her.

'Lily—'

But the was interrupted by a groggy Peter walking in, helping a stumbling yet weirdly happy-looking Sirius.

'Wazzzzuuuup?' he asked, sitting down next to his best mate and hugging him by the shoulders.

'Wow, you smell acoholic…' said James. Lily was glaring at him.

'Sirius, there can't be alcohol in the premisses!' she said, looking stern.

'Boo-hoo! I di'nt gettss zee alco-ho-o-ool E-evans…-hic- it was zee Raavensclawas…' Sirius said, sounding really, really drunk.

'Doesn't matter! You still drank!'

'I WILLZZ TELLS YOU WHAT-ELSES I DO!'he bellowed. James tackled him and put a hand against his mouth.

'Pads, you have to speak queitly. There are people sleeping upstairs, you you recall!'

Sirius shrugged and got up, leaning in.

'I hases zee sex!' he said in a whisper. Peter, who was almost sleeping on the sofa behind them, woke up and stared at Sirius with idolising eyes.

'Are you serious?' he asked.

'Why yes! Yes I am!' Sirius said, taking up a Lord poise. Lily rolled her eyes.

'No, you didn't!'

'Pff! Fines! You don'zz hases to beliefss me… I hases zee sex!'

'Lily, remember when I told you that the Ravenclaws get really slutty after drinks?' she nodded. 'They do that sometimes…'

Lily's eyes went wide. 'Oh, Merlin! I cannot believe this! On school grounds!'

'Like you never done itss!'

'I most certainly have not!'

'Ok! Let's break this up, alright?' James stood between the love of his life and his best mate. 'How about we go upstairs and you take a shower and got to bed, eh?'

'Yeppers! Pete, up!' Sirius climbed the stairs, followed by Peter.

'I should go take care of them… Goodnight, Lily…'

She gave him a small smile. 'Goodnight, James…'

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It was a chilly, rainy November morning. As it was also a Saturday, James Potter was one of the few students already awake at 8 o'clock. He had a Quidditch magazine in his heads and was reading it while eating his eggs. Three tired-looking figures appeared at the doors of the Great Hall and took their places next to him.

'How are you all feeling?' he said, his voice going a little bit louder than usual on purpose.

'Stop yelling!' moaned Peter, who couldn't even eat.

'I'm never ever drinking again. Ever…' said Remus, his head buried on his hands.

'What happened last night? No, don't tell me… Aaaaaarhg, it hurts…' said Sirius.

James laughed out loud.

'How much did the Ravenclaws get to drink?' he asked.

'Three gazillion litres!' said Remus.

'Sirius… You don't remember what happened last night? Anything?'

'Nah… I think I snogged someone…'

'Mate, you told me and Lily that you had had… you know… _sex _last night…' James said, in a whisper.

'WHAT?' Sirius shrieked, his hangover disappearing instantly.

'You did what?' asked Remus, looking at him.

'That's what you told me…'

'Oh, man… I don't remember! Bollocks! That's no good!'

Soon enough, they were joined by three grumpy girls and a rather cheerful redhead.

'Good morning, everyone!' said Lily, eating a muffin.

'Mornin, Lils!' said Jamaes, equally cheerfully.

'Shut it! Argh… I want to crawl in a ball and die!' said Hestia, the drama queen, covering her ears with her hands. Her long dark hair looked messy and she had bags under her eyes.

'What is the world…?' said Mary. She normally became very loony while hungover. 'He… My voice says words…'

Emmeline glared at her.

'I shall never pour alcohol into my mouth again.' She said.

Lily shook her head. Then she saw Sirius, who was staring into blank space. She turned to James.

'You told him?'

He nodded.

'Does he remember?'

'Not a thing…'

'Oh, poor Sirius…' she smirked.

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_**N/A: Do not fear, my friends, for the Patronus arc has yet to be determined! Anyway, yes… I will try to post at least two more chapters during the weekend – but I don't know for sure if I'll make it because I have a boxset of Star Wars and an Open Day at the University of Edinburgh waiting for me – and I'm already planning tensions and stuff! It'll be fun! Thank you for reading and for the reviews and I'll see you on Chapter 10! Marauder-on, darlings!**_

_**p.s.: if you're interested, here's the address to my tumblr .com - you know, if you want to talk to me or follow me or whatever… **_


	10. Sirius' PreMistletoe Mistake

_**N/A: Yellow! Hope you're aren't dying of curiosity for this little guy here... He, he... Ah, yes! The tumblr address was all messed up down there! It's hellolz[dot]tumblr[dot]com if you'd like to pay a visit or follow me... Anyway, let's get going, shall we? On to the David Tennant of my fanfiction, Tenth chapter!**_

#10 – Sirius' Pre-Mistletoe Mistake (aka Hollyday Cheer!)

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_ 'Does he remember?'_

_ 'Not a thing…'_

_ 'Oh, poor Sirius…' she smirked. _

'Baaaaaaaaby!' screamed a high pitched voice from the entrance of the Great Hall. All of the hungover pupils made a face and glared at the source of the noise. It was a skinny blonde girl with curly hair and large... bosoms. She jumped up and down and then ran towards the Gryffindor table, while all of the students observed with particular interest, since she was a Ravenclaw. 'Si-si, baby, I missed you so much!' she said, approaching the Marauders and the girls. All of their eyes went thrice their normal size.

'Of all the possible girls in the whole of the Ravenclaw House, you had to sleep with Holly Whithers, the most annoying of all?' asked Hestia, shooting daggers at Sirius with her eyes.

Sirius looked rather scared. He looked at James for help and his best mate shrugged.

'Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time…' he said, in his best American accent.

'What does that even mean?' Sirius asked.

'I don't know… It seemed fitting…' he said, smirking.

Holly Whithers arrived next to Sirius and pulled him up for a huge bear hug. His eyes were wide and he looked like a scared puppy.

'Hi, baby!' she said, smiling widely. 'How did you sleep?'

'I… erm… what?'

She laughed.

'You are so funny! Are you pretending not to remember? So silly!' she said, her voice very high pitched.

He gave a nervous chuckle. 'No… I—erm… Of course I remember, Holly? Holly… yeah…' he said, rubbing his neck.

The others were all staring at the "couple". Remus, James and Peter were trying not to laugh – the two hungover ones had sobered up after coffee – and the girls were looking incredibly amused.

'Awn, aren't you cute! So, how are doing this? You have to come meet my parents at Christmas!' she said. James choked on his tea.

'Yes! You so should!' he said, behind coughs. Sirius threw him a glare.

'I'm sorry… I actually have a very close friend's funeral to attend…' he muttered under his breath. 'Besides, hm… I'm sorry… I think you've got it all wrong, Holly… I'm not really… how do I put this? Looking for a relationship right now, you know? It's not that you're not grea – cause you are! – but I'm not dating material…' he said, trying to sound rational and calm and trying to keep her knees as far away from The Sargent as possible.

'What? But… but last night…!'

He held her arm and started pulling her to the doors.

'Ok… Don't make a scene… We'll talk outside.' As they went, the others started laughing out loud.

'Oh Merlin! That was priceless!' said Remus, through fits of laughter. Peter was giggling non-stop. James was choking on his tea yet again.

'Wow… that was… Amazing!' said Emmeline.

'Can I get a Patronus with this memory?' asked Hestia.

'Incredible! She's going to kill him!' Lily said.

'And probably chop The Sargent off…' said James and the other boys started laughing again.

'The Sargent?'

'It's what he calls his… parts…'James explained, his face adopting a disgusted expression.

'Seriously?'asked Hestia. 'Do you boys have names for you "parts"?'

James went back to his tea. Remus looked around, ignoring her.

'Mine is the Supreme Cone!' said Peter, smiling. Lily spit her juice and started choking.

'I'm sorry! Oh, my! I'm so... so sorry!' she said, laughing. 'Supreme Cone? Oh Merlin!'

Remus and James smirked.

'Always food with that one...' said James.

'What's yours, four-eyes?' asked Hestia.

'Let me guess? Bat and Bludgers?' suggested Mary.

'Nope. The Sea Serpent...' James said, smiling. Remus shook his head.

'So lame...'

'Better than Sargent! And Supreme Cone, for that matter! Does your even have a name?'

'Yes... The Elder Wand...' he said, in a small voice.

'Oh yeah! The most powerful of them all!' laughed James.

'Ha-ha...' Remus said sarcastically. 'Can we drop it now, please? I don't want to be thinking about phalic things while I'm trying to eat a scone...'

The girls looked at each other and started laughing again.

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'I tried! I really did! But she said she won't give up until we're together because it's destiny!' said Sirius, walking into the Common Room and sitting next to his group of friends, all of whom were studying. Except Peter. He was reading a comic book.

'Seriously?' asked Remus, putting down his quill. 'What are you going to do?'

'I don't know! I'm scared! Remember that love potion thing? I'm pretty sure she'll want to use that!' he said, looking truly frightened.

'Nah, she won't… You'll be fine… And we are going home for Christmas in a couple of weeks anyway, so you can forget that…' said James, still looking at his book, shrugging.

'It's easy for you to say! You don't have some lunatic chasing you!'

'Why don't you ask Lily for advice, then? She's had her share of stalking lunatics…' said Hestia. Lily's eyes went wide and, to her surprise, instead of going mad and storming out, James stuck out his tongue playfully at her friend and went back to his book.

'Good idea! Any advice?'

'Hm… I dunno...'

'You could hex her!'said Peter. 'Or steal her glasses! Does she wear them? You could send her to the Hospital Wing!'

'Or stick her to the floor in front of the Ravenclaw Tower for almost 8 hours and she wouldn't be able to get inside her Common Room!' said Remus, laughing.

'You could send angry birds chasing her all around the castle…' said James, joining in but still reading the book. 'Or magically throw a pie at her when you're pretending to be leaning in to kiss her…'

'That was a good one…' said Remus. Lily was surprised they remembered it all, she certainly didn't.

'It really hurt, though… The whipped cream got in my eyes… Oh! You could make all of her shoes disappear so you don't have to see her all day since she'll be looking for her them…' said James.

'So many options…' said Sirius, truly pondering which one to use.

'Look, man, don't do any of those things… She'll only end up hurt and sad, and weirdly wanting you more… Ignore her or something…' said James, finally looking away from what he was reading to look at his friend. 'She's a person with feelings, no matter how annoying she might be, and she really seems to like you, so don't hurt her because it can really scar her. Just let it go and I'm sure she'll give up eventually…' silence fell after that.

Sirius cleared his throat and got up.

'Ok! This isn't awkward at all… I'll go take a shower…' he said, leaving.

'I want to go to the Kitchens…' said Peter. James got up and closed his book.

'I'll go with you, mate… See if they more of that strawberry tart..' so he and Peter left, leaving the girls and Remus in a still awkward silence.

'Dammit…' muttered Lily. 'I knew it! I knew he said it was ok but it really wasn't! He resents me!'

Remus looked at her.

'He really doesn't. Believe me… I kinda live with him… Besides, Prongs and Padfoot don't like to dwell on things…' he said. 'It's seldom done, like last year's big quarrel… But it ends…'

'What happened last year? And why does Lily know and we don't?' asked Mary. Emmeline, who was next to her boyfriend, turned around to stare at him.

'Erm… They had a big fight about a very grave prank Sirius pulled on Snape and Lily, hm, walked in while we were talking about it…' he said, quickly. They seemed to accept that answer. Lily sighed.

'Sure, they don't… They're such cool people why would they dwell on things?' she said in a sarcastic tone.

'Just let it go… Hey! Think about how funny it'll be when Holly starts chasing Sirius like James did to you until last year?' said Hestia, smiling. 'It's going to be priceless! I can't wait!'

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The weeks passed and, sure enough, Holly started chasing Sirius. After every class, there she was. After lunch, dinner, before breakfast, there she was. She held his hand and hugged him and yelled that they were like Romeo and Juliet. Sirius always chuckled nervously or rolled his eyes. He was scared of what she might do to The Sargent if he told her it was just a 'one night stand' and 'it didn't mean anything'… Or to his hair… She seemed like someone who would gladly pull out his hair and that was his most precious possession. Normally guys didn't care about their hair. Peter certainly didn't, since it was a disgusting, sticky mess everyday. Remus just passed a quick comb on it after shower and Sirius suspected he washed it with soap. Soap! And James kept ruffling his. But Sirius loved his hair. He took care of it like a child and shivered at the possibility of it being harmed by a Ravenclaw lunatic.

It was finally the day to go back home for the Christmas holidays and Sirius couldn't be happier. He had been joining the Potters for Christmas since second year and they were amazing! They had the best food and it was really cozy. The holidays with his own family were awful and he always hated it. His cousins being stupid (except Andromeda, who he actually liked quite a bit, but she stopped hanging around before he went to Hogwarts, after she married a muggleborn Ted Tonks), his brother being annoying and his Mother being Hitler.

'I can't wait!' said James. He loved Christmas. Sirius actually found that pretty funny. On the 25th, he was always the first to get up and when down the stairs wearing really funny pajamas that had brooms on them. He then went to the tree and jumped up and down while his parents said he could only opened his presents if he calmed down. Then Mama Potter would get them hot chocolate with mini marshmellows and Papa Potter would play Christmas songs on the piano. Sirius loved Christmas at the Potters.

'This year will be great…' said Sirius, smiling. 'Are you coming for New Years, Moony?' he asked. Remus smiled and nodded. It was good when the holidays didn't fall on the Full Moon so he could actuallt enjoy them with his friends and family. And it was only the three of them, because Peter spent the entire holidays with his family.

The Marauders boarded the train and left for Christmas.

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'So, what's Christmas at Hogwarts like?' asked Lily.

It was her first time at Hogwarts during the holidays. She normally went home, but this year her parents would spend them at the Dursleys' house. And they were dreadful. Mrs. Dursley was a huge fat woman with a bad temper and Mr. Dursley looked even more like a walrus than his son. And there was Marge. Oh, Lily hated Marge. She was Vermin's sister and she looked just like him but with a wig – she even had a moustache for Merlin's sake! Marge was rude and annoying and she had a really mean dog who barked at everybody. Lily's parents asked her if she wanted to come because Petunia insisted that they went, so Lily said 'no, it's fine… I'll just saty here with my friends' because spending it alone in cozy Castle was better then going to the pits of hell with Vermin Dursley's relatives.

'It's good… Great food!' said Hestia. She never went home, because her mother and father travelled a lot and she didn't really like to spend it at her aunt and uncle's with Gwenog, since they were too much Quidditch affictionados for comfort. Mary nodded at her. Ever since her mother died when she was five, her father stopped enjoying Christmas so she decided to stay at Hogwarts on all of them. Emmeline smiled. It was her first Christmas at Hogwarts as well. She decied to stay when Lily said she wasn't going home, so they all would spend an entire Christmas holiday by themselves with no classes, no teachers, no boys and, in her case, no Remus.

'Yep. Besides, the Common is totally quiet and it's awesome!' said Mary.

'Great… We're going to have an amazing time!' said Lily.

'Definitely! Just the girls! Like the ol'times!'

They laughed.

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'Sirius, darling, you have a parcel!' said Elizabeht Potter. She and James had been helping Minni with the Christmas dinner and an enormous brown owl appeared at the sill.

Sirius wen down and picked up the parcel from the owl.

'What is it?' James asked. Mrs. Potter started coughing. 'Mum, are you alright? You've been coughing a lot lately.'

'It's probably just a cold, sweetheart… I'm fine… What's in the package, Sirius?'

Sirius opened it. It was a purple sweater with a big red heart in fron of it. He looked at it with disgust. James picked up the letter and started reading it out loud.

_"Dear Si-si,_

_ I miss you more than words could even express… I made you this lovely sweater with my bare hands and blood, sweat and tears of love. I miss you! I love you! I can't wait til the holidays are over!"_

James and Mrs. Potter started laughing really hard. Sirius blushed into a crimson tomato.

'I can't believe this… She's insane!'

'Is this that Holly girl you were telling me about, James?' asked Mrs. Potter.

'Yes… She's pretty and all that, but man is she crazy!' he laughed.

'Look at this sweater! It's ridiculous!'

'Merlin's pants, what is this hiddeous thing?' asked Mr. Potter entering the kitchen.

'Master Sirius seems to have a lady friend, Master Harold.' Said Minni. Mrs. Potter and James laughed even harder.

'And she made that, Sirius?'

The boy nodded.

'Wow. Wow. I feel sorry for her… I mean, she doesn't know you don't want anything, does she?'

'I've told her! I tell her everytime she appears next to be, which is ALL THE FRIGGIN TIME!' the Potters laughed more and more as Sirius grew redder and redder. 'No on gets me!' and he stormed out like a 10-year-old pre-pubescent girl, while muttereding obsceneties like a 80-year-old sailor.

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_Are you hanging up a stocking on your wall  
>It's the time that every Santa has a ball<br>Does he ride a red nosed reindeer  
>Does a ton-up on his sleigh<br>Do the faries keep him sober for a day.  
>So here it is Merry Xmas<br>Everybody's having fun  
>Look to the future now<br>It's only just begun.  
>Are you waiting for the family to arrive<em>

_Are you sure you got the room to spare inside  
>Does your granny always tell ya<br>That the old songs are the best  
>Then she's up and rock and rollin' with the rest.<br>So here it is Merry Xmas  
>Everybody's having fun<br>Look to the future now  
>It's only just begun.<br>What will your daddy do when he sees  
>Your mama kissin' Santa Claus<br>Ah ah_

_Are you hanging up a stocking on your wall  
>Are you hoping that the snow will start to fall<br>Do you ride on down the hillside  
>In a buggy you have made<br>When you land upon your head  
>Then you bin slayed.<br>So here it is Merry Xmas  
>Everybody's having fun<br>Look to the future now  
>It's only just begun.<em>

The girls sang while opening her presents at Christmas. The Gryffindor Common Room was filled with decorations and there was a giant tree next to the sofas. Hestia shrieked when she went downstairs, waking all the others up and making them all join her. Now, they were all happy and excited and full of holiday cheer!

'Dad got me a camera! Yey!' said Hestia. 'Prepare for you photographic doom!' she said.

'Awn, Remus got me that sweater I wanted from Madame Malkins! Plus sweets!' said Emmeline, smiling. 'I can't believe he'd spend all this money with me.

'He really likes you, Em…' said Lily. 'What did you get him?'

'A book about DADA that he had been eyeing for awhile…' she said.

'James is so nice! He got us all chocolates!' said Mary, smiling. 'And those good Muggle ones they sell at Harrods!'

'He is kind of loaded, right? So he can afford it… Besides, he split with Sirius…' said Hestia. 'We should've started hanging out with them before! Imagine how many boxes of Godiva we could've eatten by now?' the others laughed.

Lily looked at her last present. I was a small box and it was from James. She didn't want to open it in front of the girls, so she hid it in her robe pocket. She was really happy with her other presents. Lots os sweets and cakes, two sweaters and collection of muggle books by greats like Dickens and the Brontë sisters.

'Let's go for breakfast now… I want to show off my new bracelet to those stuck-up Ravenclaw seventh years' said Hestia, holding out the silver bracelet with diamonds her mother had sent her from Thailand.

'What do you have agains them? They're nice people…' said Emmeline, as they walked to the Great Hall.

'There this Clarice Simpson, she's this really rich muggleborn, and her Dad always gets her the best presents, so she shows them off every Christmas… Hestia hates it…' said Mary.

'That bitch…' muttered Hestia.

They laughed and Mary pulled Lily aside, so the other two walked along without them.

'I want to talk to you…' she said.

'What's up?'

'What was thay present from James that you hid?'

'How do you know?'

'Oh, sweetie… I saw it before you took it from the tree… Did you open it?'

Lily nodded.

'And?'

The redhead put it in Mary's hand. It was a really simple golden necklace with a beautiful small victorian locket as a pingent. Mary opened it and there was a picture of her, Emmeline and Hestia in it.

'I thought there'd be a picture of him or something…' Mary laughed.

'So did I… then I opened it and read the note…' she handed it out to Mary, who read it.

'"Lily, I'm really glad we became friends this year and I hope you have a lovely Christmas. This is for you to always celebrate the ones you love, so I put a picture of girls in it, I hope you don't mind… Have a nice holiday!" It's so thoughtful!' said Mary.

Lily smiled.

'Yes… I think so too…' she looked down, wiping out a small tear that was threatening to fall.

'Lily… Do you have… feelings for him?'

Lily stared at her friend pondering her answer. She liked James. She thought he was very nice and kind and polite, and he was clearely very smart, and good-looking. Their past had been forgotten, definitely, and Lily only thought of him as her best male-friend now. Did she have romantic feelings towards him? Well…

'I think it's a possibility… I don't know…'

Mary covered her mouth with her hands.

'No way!' she exclaimed behind them.

'I don't know! Do I get butterflies when he accidentaly touches me? Yes…. Do I think about how amazing his smile is? Yes, of course, because it is! But do I have feelings for him? I don't know!'

'Come on, Lily! It's so obvious that you do! What did you send him for Christmas? Was it the same as for the other boys, cakes and stuff that you made?'

'No…' Lily admited, hesitantly.

'What, then?'

'Well… I knitted him a Christmas sweater with stags and reindeers in it…' she said, in a small, shy voice.

'Cute!' Mary bellowed. 'You, my dear friend, are smitten! Which is probably good, because, girlfriend, this is pure gold!' she showed Lily the necklace, and the redhead took it,trying to give a stern glare, but her eyes betrayed her, as did her mouth, which kept breaking into a smile.

'Damn you, McDonald!'

Mary laughed and she and Lily returned to the Great Hall.

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_**N/A: Yey! Chapter 10 is done! Now I'll go join Captain Obvious in the cave, excuse me… Anyway! I'm listening to Coldplay now, so I'll try not to get too emotional here… I hope you enjoyed this and I'll try and finish our Matt Smith (eleventh, guys!) ASAP. I did watch Star Wars, if you're wondering, and Say Anything with John Cusack, and Crazy Stupid Love, which is amazing and highly recommended!**_

_**As always, review, s'il vous plaît, and Marauder-on! **_


	11. The Dark Side Does Not Have Cookies

_**N/A: Hello, ladies and gents! Do gents read Limes fictions? Oh, well, nevermind that! Shall I continue? Ok, so, I have a very extremely important mission for you readers! In order to stimulate the act of reviewing, I have decided that you guys are going to help me with something! Yes! Exciting, right? As the seventh year approaches, we all know that our It Couple is going to be together – it is a Romance fiction, not Angst – so I was wondering if you have any ideas for cute nicknames Lily could call James (in private, not public, of course!), because I have no idea! Challenge Accepted? Come on, people, get into Barney-mode! High five! Okay, I'm stopping now...**_

_**Hope you enjoy this next chapter! **_

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#11 – The Dark Side does Not have Cookies

Emmeline Vance was waiting nervously at the Platform in Hogsmeade. Lily Evans and Mary McDonald were with her, also waiting, but rather less nervous and probably much more bored.

'I can't wait to see him! It's been three weeks!' said Emmeline.

'Oh, I'm sure he's still madly in love with you, darling...' said Mary, with a very posh accent that contrasted with her Scottish one (Mary used to live in Scotland, but moved to London when she was nine, still kept the accent, though, and the temper), and dragged on a invisible cigarette.

'Who are you supposed to be?' asked Lily, lifting an eyebrow.

'Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's!' she said, back to her normal voice.

'We're not madly in love...' said Emmeline, turning to her friends.

'You haven't said the L word yet?' asked Mary.

'Lesbian?' asked Lily with a smirk, earning herself two slaps on the head.

'You. Stop hanging out with Potter, you're turning into him.' Said Emmeline, smiling, then turning to Mary. 'No, we haven't... Is it weird? It's been six months...'

'You have to take your time with these things... If you don't feel it yet, don't sat it...' said Lily.

Emmeline nodded. Mary poited to the horizon.

'I see steam!' she said. 'Bet a tenner a big red train's comin'!'she said.

Lily chuckled.

'Yey! They're here!' she said. Mary gave her a meaningful look. She was still the only one who knew about Lily's feelings for James. And the only onw who knew Lily wore the necklace James gave her everyday under her shirt.

The train stopped next to them a few minutes later. Most of the students had gone home for the holidays, so it took them a long time to find their own friends.

Peter came first. He seemed to have gained weight over the time he was home and he looked very satified. His hair looked nice too. Lily figure that his mum probably took good care of him. Then Remus came, looking a little bit pale – the Full Moon was approaching – but rather happy, and had a very large book under his arm, the Defence Agains the Dark Arts book Emmeline had given him. He was followed by a smiley James and a smirking Sirius, both looking happy to be back. Sirius looked very handsome in a cool leather jacket and skinny jeans with black leather boots. "Just like Sid Vicious..." commented Mary, shaking her head. James was wearing a very nice pair of dark brown slacks, his usual red Converse and the Christmas sweater Lily gave him. Lily's heart filled with warmth and joy to see that he had actually liked her present enough to wear it outside the house. It was her first time knitting. Ever. She checked out several books from the library and wore out tons of boxes of band-aids in order to get it finished by Christmas time.

'Hey, guys!' said Remus, holding Emmeline tight and kissing her.

'Get a room!' said Peter, shaking his head.

'Just not our room, ok?' said Sirius, smirking. James laughed.

'Had a good Christmas, girls?' he asked.

'Indeed! Loads of fun!' said Mary. The other two nodded. 'Yours?'

'Mine was alright... But _I_ think you should ask _Padfoot_...' he smirked, as did Remus and Peter.

'That crazy bird kept sending me mail! She gave me a purple sweater!'

'WITH A BIG RED HEART ON IT!' said James, laughing out loud. 'Mum almost had a fit of laughter when the parcel came in the kitchen! And Dad thought Padfoot was turning gay!'

'Sod off!'

The girls were already laughing. Sirius pouted and left.

'Come back, Pads! Come on! We're laughing with you, not at you!' said James. The he shrugged. 'He'll be back.'

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'What a cute little sweater, James!' said Hestia, when the group entered the Common Room. James smiled.

'I got it for Christmas...' he said, smiling widely. Lily felt her heart jump. Again. 'Mum gave Sirius a leather jacket, though...' he added.

Sirius was already there and waved, not looking away from the magazine he was reading.

'Apparently Mrs. Potter thinks he's the next MC5er or something...' said Remus.

'Nah, he's way too badass to be on MC5... I'm putting my money on either the Ramones or the Stooges...' said James, smiling.

'Whereas you'll work a Hamley's, eh?' asked Sirius, looking at him with a smirk. 'All that's missing from your ensemble is a bowtie.'

'Hey! Watch it! Bowties are cool!' said James, stuffing his chest.

'Yes, yes they are, dear...' said Remus in a patronising tone, while patting James on the head. He had grown a few inches during the holidays and was now definitely taller than James.

'Oh, now you're the smallest after Peter!' commented Hestia, with a smirk. James noticed that she liked to make fun of them. He did not like that.

'Well, everything's wonderful, life's pretty and all that, but if you'll excuse me, I have an essay to finish...' said Lily, waving them goodbye, glancing at James again and going up the stairs.

'Remus! Come!' said Emmeline, smiling and pulling Remus away. James looked at Mary.

'Wanna play chess?' he asked her.

'Hey! Why not me?' exclaimed Sirius and Hestia in unison.

'Because you hate chess...' said Mary, pointing at Hestia.

'And you suck at it.' Said James, turning to Sirius. They rolled their eyes and went back to the conversation they were having before the group arrived. James and Mary started playing.

Mary wasn't as good as Remus or Lily, with whom he really loved to play for obvious reasons, but really did give him a run for his money. James didn't really like Wizard's chess, he thought it was too violent, so he played the Muggle version, which his father had taught him when he was a little boy.

'Why did your dad move to London?' asked James, focusing his eyes on the Queen.

'Hm... He got a job there... He used to be an executive at the RBS, but when he got offered to work at the Hallifax in London, he took it as soon as, since he started hating Edinburgh ever since Mum died...' she said, moving her Pawn.

'Oh... sorry...' James said, smiling sweetly.

'It's alright... I'm over it... I mean, after a while, all the pain goes away and you're left with only the good memories...' she said. 'Why did you move to London? Where are you from again?'

'Well, before I was born, my parents lived in the North of England, then they moved to Godric's Hollow and we moved to London when I was about five or six... Don't really remember..' he chuckled. 'I love Godric's Hollow, though... It's simple and quiet. Really peaceful...'

'Didn't Gryffindor live there?' she asked. James nodded.

'Yeah... I think it's in Hogwarts, A History... I only read that once, though, so I'm not quite sure...' he said.

'We'll ask Lily later, then... She's read it five hundred times!' they laughed.

The two played in silence for awhile until Mary remembered the locket.

'It was a beautiful locket, the one you gave Lily...' she said, looking at him. His eyebrows went up.

'Hm, yeah? You know, she's a very dear friend...'

'Sure, do you always give gold necklaces to your very dear friends?' she asked.

As they heard that, the "gossipers" Hestia and Sirius approached.

'Say what?'

'You gave Lils a golden necklace? Where is it?'

'Lily wears it under her shirt...' said Mary.

'Did she hate it?' asked James, now embarassed that Lily had hated her present so much.

'No! No! She loved it! She just doesn't want people asking questions abou it... Besides, it's kinda personal right? With the picture and all... It was a truly lovely gesture, James...' said Mary, in that sweet tone she always saved for things that mattered. 'You still love her very much, don't you?'

Sirius snorted. James glared at him.

'More every day...' he admitted. It was good talking to someone else about this... Remus always said to go with his gut and Sirius always made fun of him... Peter didn't bother to say anything.

Mary and Hestia looked at each other and then at James.

'Are you going to tell her?' Hestia asked.

'No, thank you... I've been hurt enough for a lifetime... Besides, I like things the way they are. I get to spend time with her and she doesn't calle me a toerag... It's perfect.' He said with a sad smile.

Sirius patted him on the back.

'Hang in there, buddy.'

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That morning started normal. Wake up, brush teeth, shower, get hair done, change and go have breakfast. It all seemed fine. He wore his good pair of black Converse and a new pair of trousers his cousing had gotten him for Christmas stating that he "needed to start dressing up as a man, not a boy". He put on a good white shirt and one of his Gryffindor ties. His backpack was packed, his wand inside his jacket and he was good to go.

As he got into the Great Hall with his friends, everything seemed normal. He ate, drank and laughed. However, everything changed when the mail for there. The sound of the owls flying about was as normal as always, but the content of the letter he got was unexpected.

Now, Sirius Black was brushing through students, his face red with anger and his fists ready to punch. The letter from his uncle Alphard was now almost ripped-apart in his hand.

He didn't say anything to any of his friends before standing up and leaving the Great Hall. Sirius noticed James' concerned look, but this was a family business and he couldn't get his best mate involved.

'Oi, Regulus!' he said, approaching his brother. Regulus Black looked just like his older brother, but shorter and less handsome. His nose was pointier and his hair, messier.

'What do you want, Sirius?' Regulus asked, trying to sound patronising but Sirius sensed an end of fear in his voice. He pulled his brother by the arm, dragging him away from his Slytherin buddies and into a silent corridor.

'What the hell do you think you're doing?' Sirius yelled. 'You are fifteen, Regulus! How could you?'

'I don't knwo what you're talking about...'

Sirius showed him the letter.

'Uncle Alphard told me. He heard Mother saying it. She sounded so proud, he said... How could you, Reg? You are too young to know better!'

'Oh, and you are Mr. Responsability? You ran away from home, Sirius, and you are a disappointment!'

'You know well enough that she kicked me out! And do not make this about me! This is about you and you fucking up your life because of Mother!'

'I'm not doing that!'

'Oh yeah? What are you going to do when that Dark Lord of yours dies or decides that he's too good for a bunch of retarded tweens that keep wanting to join? Eh? Do you think he cares about you?'

'He does! He'll protect us! He's the only one who—'

'I care about you, Reg! And Dromeda does too! Don't listen Mother! She's insane!'

'Don't say that about Mother!' Regulus had tears in his eyes. 'I have to do this, Sirius... I'm not like you! I'm a Slytherin and a Black and I have to do this...They'll kill me if I don't!' he said, now crying. 'Don't say you'll protect me because you can't! Dromeda can't and Uncle Alphard can't either!'

'But—'

'I was doomed when you got sorted to Gryffindor, brother... I'm sorry... And I'm scared... but I have to do this... He'd kill Mother and Father...'

Sirius looked into his brother's eyes and saw sorrow. They used to be close as children, but their Mother made sure to separate them, to show that Regulus was the prodigy, that Sirius was scum... Now his little brother was in deeo trouble.

'Do you have it?' Sirius asked, in a choked voice.

Regulus nodded and pulled his sleeve up. The Dark Mark was there. That dreadful skull with the snake coming out of its mouth. "Mosmodre", Sirius remembered the spell, as he heard his cousin Bellatrix talking about it with her boyfriend Rodolphus many times before his Mother kicked him out.

Sirius pulled his baby brother into a hug and he felt sadder then he ever thought he could. Regulus hugged him back, showing him how truly scared he was. Sirius knew his brother wasn't a bad person, he was just weak, very weak indeed, and couldn't take care of himself. Much like Peter, only smarter.

They pulled apart and looked at each other.

'This is it, then?' asked Sirius. Regulus nodded.

'I'm sorry... I didn't mean to hurt you...'

'I'm scared for you, that's all... If you need anything, Reg... Just... ask me... I'm your big brother, I'm supposed to take care of you...'

Regulus nodded again, cleaned his face, waved and left.

Sirius leaned on the wall and slided to the floor. James appeared on the corner of the corridor and sat next to him.

'Are you ok?' he asked. Sirius shook his head.

James pulled him into a hug by the shoulder and let his friend cry the tears that had been threatening to fall.

'You will be...' James whispered, truly wishing that were true.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … ... … … …

'Don't...'

'I won't... But maybe you should tell Remus and Peter.' Said James, looking meaningfully at Sirius, who shrugged.

'I can't deal with this right now...' he said. They were going to the library meet their friends since they had a free double period now. Sirius told verything about Regulus and James was very sympathetic.

James knew about his best mate's family issues and he also knew that Sirius loved his brother no matter what and that fact alone made him feel physically sick, not only because his brother was risking his life, but also because he was risking it by fighting a war alongside the Dark Lord.

'Ok...'

Then, the worst person that could've arrived, did. Holly came and she was wearing a huge smile and a rather small shirt. She shrieked when she saw the boys.

'Si-si, baby!' she yelled. James saw Sirius close his eyes in anger. He was shivering.

'Leave.' He said, simply.

'What?' she asked, the smile leaving her face while a puzzled expression took place.

'Leave. Me. Alone. I do not want anything with you. I don't even remember what happened at the party and I frankly do not care. I don't like you, I can't stand your voice and I would very much appreciate if you would shut you fucking mouth and leave me the fuck alone!' his voice crescendo into a yell. James' eyes widened and he looked at the girl. She had tears of rage coming out of hers.

'What!' she bellowed. 'You... you!'

'Yes, I'm an arsehole, I know that. Now leave because I couldn't care less what you think of me. And don't blame me for that night because I was as drunk as one could get...' he didn't even wait for her to reply to leave. James followed him, having to run to keep up with his friends rapid steps.

'What was that?'

'I was tired to her... I don't know how Evans managed to let you live for so long...'

James smiled. At least he still had a sense of humor.

'Well, never mind that... Now you got rid of her...'

'She will spread the story, though... I'll be a jerk who broke her heart tomorrow...' Sirius said.

'And you care?' James asked.

'Nope. Girls like bad boys...' Sirius said.

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_ The breezed brushed against her hair and that smell of the woods that she loved surrounded her. Lily was running through the trees playfully, being followed by _him_... It was so much fun... She wanted to hug him, to kiss him. "_Lily!_" he said. "_Wake up!_" he said again. She blinked. "_What?_"_

Lily Evans woke up on that Saturday morning with Mary McDonald shaking her.

'Wake up, Lily!' she said.

'Whaaaat?' Lily whined, looking at her alarm clock. 'It's eight! It's saturday! Let me sleep!'

'No way! There's Gryffindor versus Slytherin today! Plus, it's your birthday!' Mary said, smiling. Lily eyes snapped open.

'Oh, Merlin, you're right! I'm legal today!' Lily said, getting up quickly.

'Funny, you just mention a birthday and this one gets up faster than Peter eats pudding...' said Hestia, leaving the bathroom with her towel, drying her hair.

'You're a witch, Hest, you can dry your hair magically...' said Lily. Hestia's eyes widened. 'Oh yeah!' she pulled out her wand and dried her hair off. Lily shook her head and entered the bathroom humming "Happy Birthday To You".

'Ladies! Welcome!' said Sirius, all dressed in his Quidditch gear, looking very sporty.

'Hi!' they all said. Lily sat across from James, who was drinking his tea with shivering hands. He stopped, swallowed and sneezed.

'Hi, guys...' he said, nasally. He coughed.

'Don't you have to go to the Hospital Wing? It's a bit dangerous with the weather outside...' Lily said, probably souding more concerned than she'd wished for. James smiled sweetly at her.

'It's Quidditch. No can't do... Besides, I always catch a cold before the January match...'

'Yeah, it's kind of a tradition!' said Sirius, eating his pancake furiously. 'I can't wait to sent some Bludgers at my little bro...'

James chuckled, then coughed, than finished his chuckle. Then he slapped his forehead.

'Oh, Merlin! Lily, I'm so sorry! Happy birthday!' he said, smiling sweetly again, making Lily's insides melt with warmth and her butterflies fly freely and excitedly.

'Thank you...'

He held out a box for her. She looked at it in shock.

'You didn't have to!'

'Come on, it's just chocolate! Take it! It's your birthday, for Merlin's pants!' he then got up and pulled Sirius with him. 'Don't worry, my other present for you is going to be kicking seven Slytherin arses in the Pitch.' James said, and winked. Lily blushed furiously and hoped he didn't see it.

'Adorable.' Mary whispered in her friend's ear.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … ... … … …

_**N/A: Woohoo! Another one day, a few (lot) more to go! Guys Guys! I actually have a notebook with chapter plans and stuff, I'm not making stuff up as I go, ha, ha! Anyways, next chapter will probably be up by the end of the week (I'm going to try three chapter per week, or two minimum)... Review if you can, s'il vous plaît and Marauder-on! **_

_**OH! Don't forget the Challenge! I already know when they're getting together and all that, so you can start with the petnames! Try giving me one from James to Lily as well... Nothing too obvious, though, like Lilypad, or Lilyflower... **_

_**BYE!**_


	12. Sweet Seventeen

_**N/A: Hello! Welcome to the Wonderful World of Chaper Twelve! Hopefully you'll enjoy it and help me pick out a petname for our It Couple, since I'm truly rubbish at nicknames… Anyway, go ahead and read-on, my doves!**_

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#12 – Sweet Seventeen

[Lily's P.O.V.]

So, it's my birthday. Normally, I'd hate it for a stupid Quidditch game to be held right on this day, but I can honestly say that the sport doesn't really bother me anymore… Mary would say it's because of my undying love for James Potter. I wouldn't quite put in those exact words, but I'm afraid she might be right. But I don't love him. I don't! I swear! I just… really like him… And I can't stop thinking about him… Oh, bollocks! Sorry! I mean, rats! Ok, let's begin, shall we?

Right! After breakfast, we went to the Pitch to watch the match. James and Sirius had already gone, so we went with Peter and Remus, who was being forced to listen to some really long and weird story Emmeline's subconscious had come up with the night before. Her dreams were bizarre, seriously. I had sent my box with sweets and chocolates to our dorm – the one James gave me! – so that Peter wouldn't touch it. Sirius had warned me about Pettigrew's love for food, especially other people's food… He really was a rat!

Anyway, we arrived at the bleachers and sat down. Our seats had a great view of the whole pitch and I saw the Slytherins stands start to fill with green-and-silver-wearing students. Professor Slughorn arrived at the Faculty and Staff stand and smiled widely, while Professor McGonagall glared at him and rolled he eyes. They couldn't be more different from each other, I always thought. The Potions Master was very funny looking, with the large tummy and the round cheeks, while the Transfiguration teacher was very skinny and had a stern look in her eyes. Both of them were wonderful teachers, in my opinion, even though I was pretty bad at Transfiguration. But Professor McGonagall coule be really sweet, like last year, when we won the Cup and she went to hug the then-Captain-and-Seeker, Trevor Wood. He graduated last year, giving James the job of Captain.

The teams started flying, showing off. The Slytherins liked to look good and they were extremely pretencious, while our team was more discreet and calm, and they were operating like machines this year. They hadn't lost one game all season, and they were definite favourites for the Cup, according to Remus, who was explaining it to me at the moment.

I saw James. He had a huge smile on his face and was not wearing his glasses. He looked good without them. The team followed him looking rather proud, and of course they should be, he was an excellent Captain to follow.

I heard Madame Hooch blow the whistle and so the game began.

'I hope it doesn't take too long…' said Mary. I agreed. There were stories of games that lasted days, even weeks! I'd never stay for the whole game, no way!

Gryffindor scored, so it was now 10-0. Slytherin looked mad, so the capitain, Mulciber, yelled at the Beaters and they went their way to do something. Sirius shot a Bludger at his brother's direction and he almost fell off. Harrison beat on the other Bludger and sent to the direction of one of the Slytherins Beaters that I think was Crabbe.

And the game went on. Now it was 100-80, Gryffindor. It seemed that the Seekers were nowhere near finding the Snitch. The-Other-Slytherin-Beatler shot the Bludger in Prewett's direction and our Keeper was now hanging from his broom yelling something at James' direction. James looked around and found Grayson. He moved his arms around, probably referring to some tactic and pointed somewhere. Grayson looed at where James had pointed and nodded. He flew rapidly across the pitch and then dropped, flying downwards in maximum velocity. It looked like that Wronski Feint, but he was also swirling to go even faster, so I guessed that was James' twist. Regulus followed him, not keeping up with the speed for being biggen than our third-year. Grayson then turned up and the wind coming from his broom knocked Regulus out of his own. Our Seeker then flew even higher and stretched his hand up. It was good because now Slytherin was winning by 20 points. He stretched his arm further and closed his hand, his broom then dropping several feet. Madame Hooch blew the whistle again and it was annouced that we had won! 250-120, Gryffindor! It was a truly great match, but I was relieved to be able to leave and actually enjoy my birthday.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

After we left the Pitch, the girls took me back to our dorm to open presents! I was so excited! I love my birthday! Especially this one because that means that I am officially legal in the Wizarding World! Yey!

Emmeline said goodbye to Remus at the bottom of out staircase – aren't they the cutest? – and we went up. Hestia opened the door with a triumphant smile and what I saw made by jaw drop. Our room was fully decorated with ribbons and baloons and all sorts of girly stuff. It had a nice delicate banner that said 'Happy 17th Lily!' and it had flowers drawn in it. Everything looked gorgeous! I hugged them all and felt my eyes fill up with tears.

'Thank you so much, you guys! This is amazing!' I said.

'Of course! It is your coming of age day, sweetie!' said Mary, hugging me. 'I baked you a birthday cake!'

'How?'

'Went to the Kitchens and asked permission from the elves… They almost cried when I said "please", it was adorable…' she said, smiling in that sweet way that Mary always smiled.

'Let them eat cake!' bellowed Emmeline doing a weird French accent. We all laughed and Mary brought out her cake. It looked delicious! It had green frosting and it said "Happy B-Day Lilypad!" in bright orange. There were 17 candles on top of it.

'Yummy!' said Hestia.

Then she cut the cake and we sat there, eating it. It was the best cake ever! I never knew before then that Mary could bake so well!

'Now, it's time to open the presents!' she said.

We had this tradition. Every birthday we had cake and opened presents in our own dorm. No parties and no big celebrations. Just the four of us. And it was always perfect and fun… Especially since every year James made some kind of spectacle about my birthday and gave me some weird present. Like in the year before, when he put one thousand one hundred and fifity five lilies in our dorm with a note that said, and I quote, 'These lilies, my love, my dove, are each for one day that I have known you and love you. Yours as always, James Potter'… I found it incredibly embarassing and ridiculous at the time, but now I find it extremely endearing. Ok, I have a problem… The first step is to admit it, right?

Anyway, they handed me their presents. I opened Em's first. It was a beautiful bracelet made of quiky beads.

'Wow, it's amazing! Where did you find this, Em?'

She smiled shyly.

'I was kinda low on money this year, so I decided to make presents… I made that…'

The three of us stared at Emmeline.

'You made this gorgeous bracelet, Em? Oh Merlin! I want one!' said Hestia, squeezing Em into a bone-crushing hug. 'I want a thousand! I'll even pay!' We laughed.

'Mine now!' said Mary.

I opened her parcel and it was an amazing pencil drawing of the four of us together. It was lightly painted with a fain watercolour. Truly beautiful. I stared at her face in shock.

'Ok, we'be been best friends for six years and it's now that I find how amazing you are at both baking and drawing?' I ask, smiling.

Mary chuckled.

'Sorry… You know how private I am… But I'm glad you liked it!'

'It's awesome, Mary!' said Emmeline.

'We have two artists here…' commented Hestia, shrugging. 'I'm afraid mine won't be as glamorous and personal, Lils, I have no talents…' she handed me her present. I opened it and saw the most incredible pair of shoes ever! I'd been admiring those since the summer holidays, when I pointed them out at a shop right outside the Leaky Cauldron in London. They were blue flats with a victorian pattern in light lavender. At the top there was a really simple blue setin ribbon with a torquoise stone in it.

I looked at her, amazed.

'But this! This is too!' I couldn't find words to describe my feelings.

'You deserve this! Besides, it's going to look gorgeous with your whitey white skin!' she said, smiling broadly. I hugged the three of them and thanked them again for the presents.

'You are amazing!' I said, and we laughed and ate more cake.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

We went back downstairs to find that there was some sort of party going on. Lots of Gryffindors celebrating. Marlene McKinnon – who lived in our dorm but usually hung out with Gwenog, since they were best friends – and Billius Prewett were dancing goofily and Gwenog was laughing at them with Kinglsey Harrison, to whom I can actually say I have never talked. It's weird, because the Quidditch Team is like a big family, I don't know… They are all friends, but they are all very different in personality and age… But it's nice, I guess, to have good friends outside your regular circle. Sirius was mocking Peter, as it seemed, since Peter looked red and Sirius was barking laughs. Remus waved at us and we went towards him. Emmeline ran, of course, and jumped on his neck, giving him a kiss. Have I mentioned how adorable they are?

'Hey, girls! What've you been doing?' he asked.

'Presents!' I said, happily, showing off my new gorgeous bracelet.

'Oh, very nice… Sorry I didn't get you anything… I'm horrible at remembering birthdays…' he said. I smiled and nodded.

'No problem! It's totally fine!'

'Where's Oh Captain, My Captain?' asked Mary, looking around.

'James? No idea… He left right after the match… I think he went to the Hospital Wing to get something for his cold…' said Remus.

'Is he ok, though?' I asked, noticing again that my voice probably shouldn't have sounded that concern. People were going to get suspicious!

'Yeah… He's fine… Just a cold.' Remus shrugged. And since we figured he'd know better, we let it go as well and started to enjoy the party.

A few hours laters – and a few drinks later, in the case of my dear friend Hestia who was more than tipsy – I saw James walking in. People would congratulate him as he passed by, shake his hand and try to engage in small talk. He was always very charming and polite, shaking their hands back and even throwing in a high-five. He approached us eventually.

'Hello.' He said simply, smiling. I noticed he had his glasses back on. And yes, he does look better in them.

'Hooray to our Captain!' said drunk!Hestia. She was hilarious!

James looked at her with fear. He glanced at me and I smiled.

'She won't bite…' I said.

'I am not a big fan of drunk girls…' he said. 'But thank you for the thought, Hest…' he said, patting her on the head. She stood there, frozen.

'I ain't no DAWG!' she yelled afterwards, in a weird American accent, I think.

Remus and James stared at her while us three laughed at our friend.

'Poor Hest… You need some rest. Oh! That totally rhymed!' said Mary, smiling. Em and I shook our heads. 'I'll take you upstairs, Hestia, come on…' and the two left. Emmeline pulled Remus into the dancefloor and I stood there, next to James, realising that it was the first time we had been alone together even since I found out about my feelings.

'What's up?' I asked, trying to break the silence.

He smiled widely.

'Come on…' he took my hand (butterflies!) and pulled me to the door.

As we walked through the Castle, I wondered where he was taking me. But I was also so comfortable with his hand holding mine that I secretly wished that we'd stay like that forever… Then I stopped thinking that because realised it was way too girly and ridiculous.

The Hogwarts Castle is huge. Literally humongous, and I've never seen it entirely, however, I have read about it in 'Hogwarts: A History' and so the place where James took me was no surprise. It was a garden safely hidden in the middle. More flower-y then tree-y and very, very quiet. I looked at it mesmerised by the beauty that surrounded me, then turned my eyes to James.

'What are we doing here?'

He shrugged.

'I wanted to hang out with you… Plus, I was pretty sure you had never been here before, since it's quite hidden.' I smiled.

'Yeah… But it's beautiful…'

'Sirius and I had been running away from Filch back in third year when we found this place…' he sat down on a stone bench. I sat next to him.

'And you come here a lot?'

'Only when I need some time alone…' he said, looking at his feet. He wasn't wearing his Quidditch robes anymore. Instead, he wore black trousers, a red polo shirt and a grandpa sweater. He was looking rather nerdy, but simply too cute to be true.

We stood there in silence for what seemed like hours. It was so relaxing, with the light January breeze brushing through my hair and the last rays of sun saying goodbye as they vanished behind the building that involved us.

'Nice bracelet…' James said, looking at my hand.

'Thank you… Em made it for my birthday.'

'She made it? Wow, how crafty...' he said, smiling. 'I am helpless with handy work. Once I tried to bake a cake for my Mum and it literally exploded…'

I laughed. 'Oh my God! I exploded?'

He was laughing as well.

'Yeah… I must've put way too much baking powder…'

We laughed until our sided hurt and then fell silent again, both of us smiling. It was a comfortable silence, no pressure.

'Thank you for showing me this place…' I said, in a whisper.

'You're welcome…'

'It's good because I thinking today would be sad for me…'

'Why?'

'My pet toad died two days ago… I've had him since first year…' I said, feeling sad for the death of Galileo, my pet toad.

'I'm sorry… It must be awful… Are you planning on getting a new one?'

'Nah… I'll probably get a cat or something…'

He chuckled.

'All of my friends hate cats… It sucks because I actually kinda like them, even if they scare me a bit.'

'Why on Earth would Remus, Sirius and Peter hate cats?'

He looked at me in disbelief.

'Try a guess…' he said, smiling encouragingly.

'Because two are canine and one is a rodent?' I tried.

'Yeppers!' he said. 'But Sirius always disliked cats, even before becoming a dog… I think it's because his mother had this really The Godfather-style cat, real mean and vicious, you know?'

I nodded. 'Evil cat…'

'Yep. But I think you should get one! When's the next trip to Hogsmeade?'

'Valentine's Day…'

'There you go! Get your money and go get yourself a cat! No! Let me get it for you!' he said, standing up and looking very determined.

'No! You can't just buy me a cat!' I said.

'Why not? It'll be my birthday present! Please?' he asked. He looked so adorable in that pleading look that I had to give in.

'Fine…' I said.

'Cool! But I'll get it before the trip though, otherwise the cat will be like a Valentine's Day present or something…' he said, smiling.

Yeah, I though, it would be awful if you gave me a Valentine's Day present…

For the first time ever, I actually wondered when, or if, he was going to ask me out.

Bloody James.

He was going to get me a cat.

Bloody James.

I hate him.

No, I don't.

Lily, you are a blithering idiot.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

_**N/A: Hola! First birthday chapter! I wanted to do one before this one, but decided that the characters neede to be more built before I jumped into birthdays… Anyway! Did you guys enjoy the Lily POV? I thought I'd make her more loony in her head than she actually is for other people, you know? I'd like to think of her as a very funny person who has to keep it down because she is very dilligent and studious and all that… Well, that's that for now… Remember my challenge! Petnames for our It Couple because I am really bad with nicknames, and names actually. I already have a name for Lily's cat, but if you'd like to give some choices, I'd be very happy! **_

_**As always, please review, because review make me happy! And Marauder-on!**_

_**P.S.: I posted this earlier even though I should be studying for my History NAB… you should all be very happy ^^**_


	13. Sergio Looks Like a Panther

_**N/A: Hey-o! I'm back for the thirteenth! Yey! This chapter is back to The observer, so no POVs… Also, I want to say that I really AM accepting all kinds of nicknames and stuff for Lily and James because I honestly do not have a clue! Anyway, I'll stop boring you now… Bye!**_

[_Sirius_, **James**, Remus]

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#13 – Sergio Looks Like a Panther

Two weeks later and no cat. Lily was starting to think that James had given up on that so she mailed her parents the day before asking if she could get one in Hogsmeade. They sent her the money and she was good to go. _How pathetic,_ she though_, me going alone to buy a cat on Valentine's Day_… Lily decided to enjoy that Friday the 13th and not let the fact that she had no boyfriend and no pets get to her.

'Good morning…' she said, leaving the bathroom to find her dorm fully decorated with heart and cupids and more hearts. She sighed. 'Are you kidding me? It's tomorrow!'

Emmeline smiled at her.

'Yes! But today is Pre-Valentine! Some girls from Hufflepuff are arranging a party thing so everyone can get a date for tomorrow! You in?' she asked. Lily shook her head.

'I'm not looking for a date… Tomorrow I'll go get me a cat and then come back here and study!'

'YAWN!' exclaimed Hestia. 'You are getting duller and duller everyday!'

'Come on, Lils! Just go and have some fun!' said Mary.

'I can't! I don't want a date… I mean, I do, but the guy with whom I want to go out doesn't!' Lily said, putting on her black loafers on top of her black pantyhose.

'Ooh! There's a guy now! What's his name? House? Blood type?' asked Hestia, a look of excitement filling her face. She sat close to Lily on the bed and straightened her long dark hair.

'Nobody…' Lily looked at Mary, begging for her help.

'Just tell them…' she said.

'Mary knows?'

'She figured it out!'

'Tell us, then!' said Emmeline, looking a bit angry that she didn't know first.

Lily sighed again started picking on the hem of her skirt.

'Fine! I may have developed a slight crush on… J-James…' after she said it Emmeline and Hestia stared at her with wide eyes. Hestia stood up and walked away slightly. Then she returned and smacked Lily in the head. 'Bloody ow, Hest!'

'Bloody ow, Merlin's balls! Lily Evans, how thick are you? It took you six years to realise how madly and utterly in love you are with that blithering idiot!' she exclaimed, rasing her voice by a few octaves.

'Talk louder, I don't my parents heard it in BLOODY SURREY!' Lily said, angrily. 'It didn't take me six years!'

'Oh, yes it did! I thought you had realised it by now, what with being friends with him and all that!' said Emmeline.

'What? I just realised it on Christmas!'

'Oh, Lils… It just took you a long time to admit to yourself that you loved that crazy boy… It happens with everybody…' said Mary. 'Besides, he never really gave you a chance, with all the asking out and annoying and yadda yadda yadda…'

Lily stared at her shoes. She then reached under her shirt and pulled out the neclace she'd been wearing since Christmas.

'It's weird knowing it and him not asking me out anymore. I'd go now!'

'Let's go for breakfast and think about this later, ok? It's too stressful…'

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

'This class is soooooooooo boring…' whispered Sirius in the middle of Runes. James glared it him. He picked up a piece of parchment and started to scribble on it, than passed it over to Sirius.

**Would you shut up? Some people are actually trying to focus here!**

_Are any of those people you? _

**Doesn't matter **

_Ha-ha… Prongs, you are such a—_

What are you doing?

_ Just talking since this class is SO BORING!_

**It is quite boring today… Merlin! I can't wait for this day to be over!**

Are you guys going to the Hufflepuff party? I heard there will be some girls there… 

** Why are you interested?**

I'm not! But you might be, and since you're my friends…

** Ah, yes… I don't know if I'm up for it, though… **

_COME ON, PRONGS! YOU ARE SUCH A YAWN! You haven't been to a decent party ALL FUCKING YEAR, MAN!_

**Not true! I went to the Quidditch party two weeks ago!**

_ Big woop! You left right after you arrived! With Evans of all people!_

He's right, you know… You've gone soft this year, mate…

** Not you too, Moony! **

_Coming or not? _

** Fine! But I want to leave before midnight! I have some plans…**

Do any of those plans have anything to do with that dreadful cat you've been keeping in our dorm for the past three days? 

**Perhaps…**

_So you'll get rid of it?_

**No, Sirius, I won't get rid of the cat! He's just going to its rightful owner. **

_Awesome! It's really hard trying to sleep with that furball near my bed… Let alone with Wormtail squealing thinking the cat's gonna eat'im. _

James and Remus snickered agreeing to their friend's comment. Professor Gloucester gave them a look and they stopped.

**That was a close one! I'm prefect now, I can't be caught doing these things!**

_Remus didn't seem to care when he was prefect._

True, I didn't… 

** Well, I want to be Head Boy next year so—**

_WHY WOULD YOU WANT THAT? _

** Because Mum would be "ever so proud", besides, Lily is definitely going to be Head Girl and the Heads share a dorm!**

Sirius smirked and winked.

_Nice. _

**Not like that! Ew! No! I mean, I'll be close to her all the time… **

_**And the cat!**_

** Forget about the cat, Remus! That's the only thing you've talked about since I got it!**

That's because I hate it, James! I'm a you-know-what, so I'm insinctively prone to take felines!

_ I hate that thing too… It's weird.. It has this evil look!_

James rolled his eyes.

**It's just a cat… And a very cute one, by the way… **

Class will be over in ten minutes. 

_THANK YOU MERLIN!_

** HALLELUJAH!**

Yeah… So, are you going to the party, then? 'Cause I'll be there with Em…

_We are definitely there, my furry friend!_

Cool. What are your plans with the cat, James? 

** I'm giving it to Lily!**

As a Valentine's gift?

** No! I promised her that I wouldn't get her anything for Valentine's day this year.. But I will send the cat to her at 11:58… It's ALMOST the 14****th****, but not quite!**

Wow… You've reallu thought this through. 

_What if she takes two minutes to open the door?_

** Shut up, Sirius!**

_He-he! Let's go to lunch! I'm starving!_

'Why did you write that down instead of saying it?' asked Remus.

Sirius shrugged. 'Dunno.. Let's just go already!'

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

'How do I look?' asked Hestia, twirling in front of the mirror. She had her long dark hair wrapped in a bun with her fringe falling on her eyes. She was wearing a knee-length pale blue dress with spaghetti straps and white flats. Hestia reached over her bed a picked a silver necklace and out it on, then looked at herself again and smiled.

'You look great!' said Mary, smiling widely. She also looked good in a baby pink dress with puffy sleeves that matched her white-and-pink shoes. She let her hair loose.

'Let's go, Em! We're going to be late!' said Lily, leaving the bathroom where Emmeline was putting on her make up. Lily had a strapless dark blue dress on with a brown sweater and was wearing her brand new shoes she got for her birthday from Hestia. She braided her hair and let it fall on her left shoulder. Lily also put on her golden necklace. 'Wow, you two look great!'

'Thanks! So do you! Maybe James will ask you out today!' said Mary

'Yeah, right… And I've decided to go buy a cat tomorrow, so no dates!'

'Merlin! Why do you need a cat?' asked Hestia.

'Oh, leave it…'

'Ok, I'm ready! Let's go!' said Emmeline, finally leaving the bathroom and picking up her purse. 'Don't we look awesome?' she winked.

She was wearing a flowy purple dress with black pantyhose and silver shoes with small heels.

'Wow, are planning on getting lucky tonight?' asked Hestia, smirking mischiefly.

'You bet! Just kidding!' Emmeline said, laughing and leaving the room being followed by her friends.

As they reached the Common Room, Emmeline squealed and went to hug Remus. 'You look so handsome!'

And he did. He had black slacks and dress shoes on, with a blue shirt and a brown jacket.

'You boys look so dashing!' Mary said, smiling. Sirius winked.

'I always look dashing, sweetheart.' He smirked.

He was also wearing black sklacks and dress shoes, but his looked brand new and shiny. He also had a white dress shirt on and a thin navy blue tie. No jacket. His hair was amazing, as always.

'Where's James?' asked Hestia.

'Trying to make Peter look presentable… He also did It to us, as you can see...' said Remus, smiling.

'No fear, ladies and gents, for I am here!' said James in a posher accent than his own. He was wearing dark brown slacks, brand new black Converse, a light blue dress shirt with a thin tartan-checkered tie and a grey sweater vest and a tweed jacket. 'You girls look beautiful!'

Lily looked at him with awe and tried very hard to hide it.

'Thanks, darling.' Said Hestia. She pulled Lily and Mary by the fists and dragged them out the door.

As the group arrived at the party location, they saw Aaron Diggory at the entrance of the Hufflepuff Common Room – it was his shift as 'bouncer'. When James saw him, his whole body went stiff. His jaw locked and his glared at the blond boy in front of them.

'Hello, ladies… You all look very hot tonight.'

Hestia rolled her eyes.

'Look, Diggory, we don't have time for your jerkness, all right? There's a party in there and we want to get in… Will say the bloody password already?'

He chuckled.

'Only if Lily promise me a dance…' he smirked.

'I will most definitely not dance with you!'

The entrance opened and a tall boy with brown hair appeared. He looked irritated as he stared at Diggory.

'Would you stop, Aaron? She doesn't like you! Geez… Get in, guys, I'll deal with him…' he said.

Lily was thankful although she didn't know who he was. The boys seemed to, since they shook his hand.

'Thanks, man…' said Sirius, giving him a meaningful look and pointing at James. 'It wouldn't have been pretty…'

The boy chuckled.

'Yes, I figured.'

Once they were inside the Valentines-themed decorated room, Lily asked the question.

'Who was that?'

'That's George Abbott… He's a really nice guy… Very smart.' Said James. 'Doesn't play Quidditch, so I can call him a friend.' He smirked.

Lily rolled her eyes.

'I'm glad he showed up before Diggory tried anything… He is so annoying!'

'Yeah, right? Such a git!' said Hestia. 'Nevermind him, though, because we have to dance! I love this song!'

'Yes! Let's dance!' Mary pulled Lily and the three went to the dancefloor.

'Wanna dance?' Remus and Emmeline, who smiled and nodded. They went, leaving James, Sirius and Peter alone.

'You going to ask Evans to dance?' asked Sirius.

'You should! She looks pretty!' said Peter.

James looked at her having fun on the dancefloor with her friends. She had the biggest most beautiful smile and seemed to be having a great time.

'Nah… I don't want to spoil her evening by asking her out… Besides, I hate going on dates on Valentine's Day…'

'What's with girls and that bloody pink restaurant? Do they actually find that place bearable?'

'I dunno… But I'd like to get a Time-Turner, find that Madam Puddifoot and hex her into oblivion so she would never have made that crappy Tea House thingy… They have flying babies!' James said, rolling his eyes.

Sirius barked a laugh.

'I think they're called cupids, Casanova…'

'Whatever! And I'm a thousand times more romantic than you are!'

'He's right, Padfoot…'said Peter. 'He had all of those ideas for Lily… Remember that time you filled her dormroom with lilies on her birthday?'

'One for each day you'd known her… So lame!' mocked Sirius. James smacked him on the head. 'Ow! The hair, man!'

'Oh, I'm sorry Sirius' Hair… It's not my fault the head you belong to is such an idiot!'

Peter laughed at their banter. He always thought his friends were very funny. It was really sad when they stopped talking to each other for weeks on the year before.

'Well, there's a hot girl over there and I'm guessing she wants a piece of this, so excuse moì…' said Sirius. James put a hand on his shoulder.

'Mate, no drinking, alright? I have plans for later and taking care of your vomited self isn't one of them… And you don't want to have another "Holly-issue", do you?'

'Nope… No worries, Prongs… I'll stay sober tonight… See ya!' they high-fived and Peter and James were left alone.

'Wanna see what they have to eat?' asked Peter. James shrugged.

'Sure!'

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'What time is it?' asked Lily, after hours of dancing and laughing and having loads of fun with her mates. It was great that not even Hestia blew them off to go snog some fella.

'Around ten, I'd say…' replied Mary, taking a sip of her Firewhiskey. She was 17, so it was ok. Although, Lily though, it was prohibited to have alcohol within the school premisses. _You have stop being such a stick in the mud, Evans_, she thought, hearing Sirius' voice in her head.

'Oh, good… We have to get back before midnight…'

'Why?' asked Hestia, pouting. 'We're not Salmonela!'

Mary and Lily started to laugh.

'It's Cinderlla and, I know that… But we do have a curfew… And on Fridays, that is before midnight to all the sixth and seventh year students..' Lily said. Mary was still laughing.

Suddenly, Remus and Emmeline arrived next to them, looking very tired and happy.

'Such good songs!' Em said, smiling widely. 'I can't remember the last time I danced so much!'

'Me either!' said Remus. 'Have any of you seen the guys?'

'I saw Sirius run off with some girl…' said Mary with a smirk. 'I sure hope it's Holly!'

'NO! That was hell!' said Hestia.

'I haven't seen Peter or James, sorry…' said Lily, the only serious one while Mary and Hestia discussed over Holly.

'Speaking of which…' Remus said, pointing behind them where James and Peter talked to a couple of girls. He was being rather charming and that was like a bullet on Lily's gut. She felt physically sick at the thought of James with another girl. Peter looked happy while the two girls were obviously beaming at James. 'I think he's trying to set Pete up…' Remus whispered. Then, the four girls really started to pay attention. James had a hand on Peter's shoulder and looked like he was praising him in all sorts of ways. Then he started to move his hands around, telling some story that made the other three laugh. The short Hufflepuff with auburn hair in front of Peter smiled broadly and winked at him. James said something else and excuse himself, patting Peter on the shoulder again and leaving. He approached the group with a satisfied smile.

'Guess who got a date for Pete for tomorrow?'

'No way! A girls who is alive and has breasts and hair and a brain actually wants to go out with Peter on Valentine's Day?' asked Remus, his eyes wide. James nodded.

'Yeppers. Cindy Walbour. Hufflepuff. Half-blood. Sixth year. Auburn hair and blue eyes. Kinda chubby, low self-esteem… He seemed to really like her and she's genuinely nice…' James informed, smiling.

'Wow. You are, like, a Jedi or something!' said Mary. Hestia, Remus and Emmeline seemed confused by the reference, but James got it.

'Oh, yes I am… They call me Ben at Mos Eisley.' He said, smirking. Lily and Mary giggled.

'What?' asked Hestia.

'You take Muggle Studies with my and you didn't get this reference?'

'Sweetheard, I took it last year and I got an A!'

'It's from Star Wars… It's a Muggle science-fiction film…' explained Lily.

'Whatever! I'm tired of this girls' night! Let's find some cute guys and dance!' Hestia bellowed, smirking.

James stiffened and looked slightly uncomfortable. Remus noticed that and cleared his throat.

'Mate… Don't you hava, erm, things to do?' he asked.

James looked at him, then stared at his feet. 'Yes… Yes, I do… I have to go now… Bye..' he was leaving.

'Wait! You can't just leave!' said Lily.

'I have some errands to run…' he said. James smiled sadly and left.

'Where did he go?' asked Emmeline. Remus shrugged.

'I dunno…' he lied.

'I'm not looking for guys, by the way, Hestia.' Said Lily.

'Why not?'

'You bloody well know why not!'

'Ok. Sorry… Won't happen again.'

Mary stood between them.

'Right! Before World War Three starts, how about we get some more drinks and got relax, eh? According to Lily, we still have at least one more hour of party fun before curfew!'

'Fine… No guys, then… Dull.'

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'Great party!' said Mary as the four of them walked up their staircase. Remus left the party about half an hour before them, in order to take care of a drunken Peter.

'It really was… The Hufflepuffs can put something together, eh?' said Lily.

'And thanks to Mr. Abbott, no Diggory!' said Emmeline, hugging Lily. The redhead nodded happily. She looked at her watch.

'11:56! We made it!' she said, as Hestia opened the door.

When the door was open, they saw something on Lily's bed, which was the first one. There was a tiny furry cat on her bed. It had a big bow attached to its neck and a note next to it on the bed.

'What is that?' asked Hestia, looking at the furball.

'Oh, Merlin!' Lily said, running towards it. She picked up the note and read it out loud.

"_Dear Lily, _

_I promised you a cat before Valentine's Day, so here it is! It's not midnight, so it doesn't count! _

_I haven't named him (it's a boy, hooray!) yet, so get creative!_

_Sincerely Yours (me trying to sound romantic – not working though)_

_James_"

'He gave you a bloody cat!' said Hestia. 'He gave you the cutest little cat in the entire planet! Oh, dear! No joke you're smitten, the boy's a Prince!'

'It's so adorable, Lils!'

The cat really was adorable. It had almost entirely black, except for the paws, which were creamy white. The cat was had a ruffle fringe on the top of its (his?) head which reminded her strangely of James.

'He really is… What will I name you, little guy?' she asked the cat, lifting it from the bed and giving him a hug. He hissed a bit before getting used to her smell.

'He looks like a panther!' said Hestia. He most definitely did not look like a panther, but the girl was so drunk she wasn't making much sense.

Mary giggled. 'No way… He looks like a little black cloud of cuteness!'

'What are you going to name him?' asked Emmeline.

'It has to be something funny! And cute!' said Mary.

'And Marauder-ish, because of its Dada!' said Hestia.

'Its Dada?'asked Mary.

'Yeah! James!'

'Ok! Funny, clever and cool… How about… Mr. Something?' said Lily.

'No! No mister! Those are boring!'

'ALBERTO! RICARDO! MARIO!' said Hestia, laughing.

'Something hispanic sounds fun!' said Emmeline.

'Sergio!' said Lily. She looked at the little cat and smiled at him. 'You are Sergio Potter, but don't tell him that's your last name because I'll get in trouble.' She whispered in his ear. The cat purred and got comfy in her arms. All the girls made "awn" sounds.

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_**N/A: Yey! Another chapter done! How about that? I put a cat in the story and I literally JUST remembered about the cat in Lily's letter to Sirius on DH! How weird, right?**_

_**Anyway, hope you enjoyed this little piece because according to my notes, we are approaching some tension! Uuuuh! **_

_**Thank you for reading and, as always, pleas review! It makes me happy! It maked Sergio happy! Don't you like Sergio? **_

_**By the way, I did steal the cat from Criminal Minds, but nevermind that…**_

_**Marauder-on!**_


	14. The Moment to Fight

_**N/A: Now with the fourteenth! I'm getting really excited with this! We are approaching twenty! It alsways gets cool when it reaches twenty! Well, I won't bother you with this nonsense... on you go!**_

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#14 – The Moment to Fight a.k.a Evil Spread

Lily woke up that Monday morning with a small tongue licking her nose. She opened her eyes to finde little Sergio sitting shyly next to her on the bed, putting his small paw on her cheekbone. Lily smiled and ran a hand through his unruly fringe and picked him up, sitting up.

'Good morning, Serg...' she said, petting him. 'How is it possible that I've had you for three days and I already love you so much?' then she got up and made her way to the bathroom to freshen up.

After she and her friends were ready, Lily said goodbye to Sergio – almost crying, although she pretended she was strong so that her friends woulnd't mock her – and they left for breakfast.

'You guys! You are never going to believe what happened!' said James as they approached the table. He looked really excited about something. Remus, Sirius and Peter looked happy as well.

'What? What? Gossip? Tell me!' said Hestia, sitting in front of the boy.

'Ok! Guess what happened on Valentine's Day!'

'What?' the girls asked. Lily's heart jumped a bit, while hoping that he wouldn't say that he got a new girlfriend and that she was prettier and smarter and better than Lily in every possible way.

'Frank proposed to Alice!' said Sirius, in a girly voice. James glared at him.

'I wanted to tell them!'

'But you didn't!'

'You-!'

'He proposed? Like "do you want to be my wife" proposed?' asked Mary, looking at them with wide eyes.

The four boys nodded.

'Oh, Merlin! This is amazing! Alice is going to be Mrs. Longbottom!' said Emmeline, in a singing voice.

'Wow! Aren't they a bit young, though?' asked Lily, vacillating a bit.

'I dunno... They're both eighteen and they love each other, so why wait, right?' said James, shrugging. 'And that means there's going to be a wedding! And where there's a wedding, there's...'

'Bridesmaids!' bellowed Sirius, happily.

'No, you daft imbecile, wedding cake! It is by far my favourite dessert!' James said.

'Plus there's really dancy crappy music... It's great!' said Remus, moving his head as though he was dancing to the Bee Gees in his own mind.

'And bridesmaids!' said Sirius. 'Girls who are forced to obey to the brides rules while wearing dreadful dresses! They are needy, self-conscious and have low self-esteem!'

'You are such a jerk, Black...' said Hestia, rolling her eyes.

'But you love nonetheless...' he smirked.

'Let's get to class, shall we?' suggested James to which all of them nodded and went to their first period – Potions.

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At lunch, the girls met with Alice, who was talking wedding plans with Marlene McKinnon and Gwenog Jones. She looked so excited and happy that the girls only wanted to join the fun.

'Congrats, Al!' said Mary, hugging her.

'Thanks! Oh, it was so adorable! He took me to where we first kissed –at that little garden right behing Puddifoot's? – and got down on one knee and proposed! It was soooo unexpected!' she said, still beaming with happiness.

'How do your parents feel about this?' asked Lily, hating being the serious one.

'They are completely joyful! Mrs. Longbottom is happy as well... We get along really well and she loves me! Oh, it's going to be great! I was just telling Gwenog that she HAS to be my Maid of Honour!'

'That's great, G!' said Hestia, hugging her cousin.

'Yeah! We'll make all of the plans during the Summer... But I'll be kinda busy afterwards... I have some plans...' she said. The other girls looked at her curiously. 'Oh! That reminds me that I need to talk to James! Excuse me, girls! I'll see you at the Library, right?' Alice nodded and Gwenog left.

'What could she possibly want with James?' asked Marlene. 'I hope it's nothing to do with the team... I'm not aware of anything...'

'It's probably nothing...'

'Maybe they're having a secret affair...' said Alice, giggling. 'Just kidding! But it would be cute... I mean, James does deserve a girlfriend, he's been so good this year, right? Anyway, I should go too, I'm going to revise Transfiguration with Frank. Bye, ladies!'

Marlene left right after them, looking for Harrison, and the four girls sat there in silence, eating their lunch. Sirius then showed up, smiling widely.

'Hello, girls!'

'Are James and Gwenog having a secret affair?' asked Hestia before he could even sit down. Sirius looked confused and stared at each on of them. He rubbed and neck.

'I don't think so, no... He has a strict No-Dating-Team-Members Policy... I had to sit through a lecture early this year after I hit on Marlene...' he said.

Lily let out a relieved breath, hoping that no one noticed it.

'Why?' he asked.

'Gwenog was talking summer plans, than she had to go because she said that reminded her she had to speak to James about something...' said Mary. 'It was weird...'

'Well, it's nothing Quidditch-related, probably, otherwise I'd known... But James normally tells me everything...'

'Speaking of which!' exclaimed Emmeline as soon as James approached them at the lunch table. He smiled, sat down and picked up a tuna sandwich. 'What did my cousin want with you?'

He looked at her. 'That's our business and none of yours.' He said mater-of-factly. Hestia rolled her eyes.

'She's my cousin!'

'I could tell you, but I don't want to jinx it... You'll know when it's official... I'm sure it'll be pretty soon anyways... She's pretty amazing.' He said. James had a strange proud look in his eyes.

Lily felt weird hearing that. It just sounded very much like they had something... Something that she'd definitely not like given her newfound feelings.

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The next morning, as the whole school sat down to eat breakfast, a very important piece of news arrived. After the Church Owl delivered Lily's daily _Daily Prophet_, she looked at the headline in shock. There had been ten attacks on Muggle neighbourhoods the night before and twenty deaths. She passed the newspaper over to Mary, whose eyes filled with tears and worry as she looked at her best friend.

'What is this?' she asked, her voice choked by a sob.

'They are starting to attack Muggles, Mary...' Lily said, her eyes also filled with tears. 'I'm scared...' she added, aware that she sounded like a child, but she couldn't be bothered with being brave while her family might be at risk. Their friends stared at them. James took the newspaper and read it out loud. All of the eyes went wide and worried.

'You must go now and talk to Dumbledore!' said Hestia, souding a little choked up herself. 'He's going to protect your families!'

'She's right, girls... I'll take you there...' said James. Lily and Mary nodded and stood up, walking in auto-pilot as James led them to the Head Master's office

He said the password and they went up the gargoyle staircase. James looked at the girls that were hugging each other with a fearful aura around them. He wanted to hug Lily so badly, tell her everything would be alright, that we would protect her to the end of the world. But he couldn't. He had to be strong and put his foot down and swallow his feelings. It was difficult, but it had to be done.

James was going to knock when the voice of the Elder Wizard came through the door.

'Come in, Mr. Potter.' He said. James' eyes went wide and the muttered a "what the hell?", after opening the tall oak doors for the girls to step him before him. 'Good morning, Miss Evans, Miss McDonald and Mr. Potter.'

They nodded and sat at the chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk.

'I am right to assume that you are here because of the issues revolving the attack of the Muggles?' he asked. Lily nodded.

'Mary and I are really scared for our families, sir.'

'My dad can't protect himself, Professor! He lives alone! I don't know what to do...' said Mary in a tiny voice.

James sat there, awkwardly watching the girls' pain and suffering while he was helpless.

'I see... Are you girls aware of the Order of the Phoenix?' he asked, looking at both girls in the eye. They shook their heads. 'It's a secret organisation that I've set up for those who want to fight Voldemort...' Mary flinched at the mention of the name. '... and we are doing our best to protect the families of those who study at Hogwarts.' He finished.

After a moment of silence, Lily looked up.

'Can I join?' she asked. Mary and James stared at her.

'I'm afraid not, Miss Evans. Not until you've graduated anyway.' He gave a small smile. His sky blue eyes glowed in the light that came from the fireplace next to his desk. His phoenix, Fawkes, was asleep next to him and he lifted his hadn to pet her gently.

'But after school... I can join, right? I want to fight this! It's not fair what the Muggles go through! They haven't done anything wrong! They don't even know why there are so many deaths!' she exclaimed, tears falling from her emeral eyes. James looked at her and felt an unbearable pain in his chest. He couldn't let her do it. Not by herself, not alone. He had to protect her. He'd die for her.

'I know, Miss Ev—'

'I want to join too, Professor.' He said, simply. His voice was firm and his tone was serious.

Mary nodded. 'Me too.'

Dumbledore smiled.

'It's good to know that you kids are worried about the war. But surely—'

'No. It isn't fair that we go living our lived, studying and becoming Aurors and Healers while innocent Muggles lose their lives!' James said again firmly.

Dumbledore nodded. He looked at James' eyes through his half-moon spectacles. His blue eyes sparkled as he saw the strength shown in James' hazel ones.

'Very well. But you must graduate. And you must train before going on raids. Mr. Potter, do me a favour and tell Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin and Mr. Pettigrew about this. I'm sure they'll want to join after school as well.'

James nodded.

'Will our parents be safe?' asked Lily.

Dumbledore looked at her pleading face.

'We'll do our best, Miss Evans, and that is all I can promise.'

'That is good enough for me.' Said Mary firmly.

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'So, it's a secret Order thing...' said Sirius, pondering. The boys were in their dorm, talking about the Order of the Phoenix and the dangers the Muggles were in.

'I dunno... Sounds too dangerous.' Said Peter in a small voice. James shot a glare at him.

'Yes, it is dangerous. But that son of a bitch Voldefart is killing innocent people and some one has to stop him. Might as well be us!' he said. Remus and Sirius nodded.

'I'll definitely join. I hate that bastard after luring my brother.' Said Sirius. It was the more austere tone his voice had ever carried.

'Me too. We have to fight this.' Said Remus. 'It's absurd!'

Peter looked at his friends in fear. He was scared of dying. He was scared of being caught in crossfire. He was afraid of Death Eaters.

'Pete?'

'I-I'll think about it.' He said.

'You can't run your entire life, Peter. Sometimes we have to fight for what we believe in. Sometimes we have to stick our necks for those we love... It's war...' James said, looking at him and then entering the bathroom.

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'We're settled, then? Joining the Order?' asked Mary, stading up and looking valiantly at her friends. They all nodded.

'Yes... We have to do this!' said Hestia.

Marlene McKinnon walked in. She had her hair wet because she had just taken a shower in the lockeroom after a private Quidditch pratice.

'Hey guys... I heard about that Muggle attack. It was awful.' She said, putting her stuff away. Lily nodded.

'Dumbledore told us about this Order thing...' she started.

'Yeah. The Order of the Phoenix. My brother told me about it last week. He joined. I told him that I was going to after school. It's what we must do, right? I mean, this _is_ war...

'Good! We're kicking some Volderfart arse!' said Emmeline, punching the air. The other four girls stared at her.

'I think this question is kind of obvious, but it must be asked... Volderfart?' Lily asked. Emmeline slapped her forehead.

'Hm, yeah! I heard it in a conversation between Sirius and James a few weeks ago and asked Remus about it... He said James made it up...' she said, laughing afterwards. The mood had lightened up a bit after this, while all the girls started laughing at James' nickname for the Dark Lord.

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_**N/A: I know! Short chapter, bla bla bla! But I didn't want to deal with a lot of stuff in here, and I wanted to introduce the Order briefly... Plus the future Longbottom's wedding! Yey! I also have waaaay too much free time since I managed to finish this in about four hours... Sorry if it's rubbish though... But it'll get a bit tense on the next one, so buckle up! **_

_**Again, thanks for reading, and thank you Roseflower94 (-rose-) for the awesome tips for little pet names for out It Couple! (I've thanked her on PM, but I think she deserves a mention here...) **_

_**Last but not least, thank you for reading and hopefully you'll enjoy the next chapter which I have planned for the end of the week! Yey! **_

_**Marauder-on!**_


	15. March Madness

_**N/A:Hello, fellow Limers! Excited for this new amazing chapter? It will blow your brains out! Nope, I'm kidding… It won't, but hopefully you'll enjoy it… Anyway, have fun! **_

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#14 – March Madness

A bad feeling woke James up that morning. He didn't know what it was and he couldn't go back to sleep, so, at four in the morning, the got up and went for a jog. That feeling lingered until breakfast, through his first two periods, until lunch.

He sat there quietly playing with his food, strangely not hungry. His friends talked and laughed, and he only listened half-heartedly. His mind was elsewhere. James was going through all the bad things that could happen to him in his head. Nothing, however, could've prepared him for what Professor McGonagall told him after putting a hand on his shoulder and walking him and Sirius out of the Great Hall.

'Mr. Potter, I'm afraid your mother had fallen ill.' She said, in a small apologetic voice. James' eyes grew wide, much like Sirius'.

'What?' he asked in an almost-yell.

'We've just received a letter from your father saying that he took your mother to St. Mungo's. He asked me to take you two there now.' She said.

The boys nodded and went with her.

Harold Potter was sitting in the waiting room with his head buried in his hands. He looked up as Minerva McGonagall walked in with James and Sirius. The boys ran up to him and the three got into an embrace.

'How's Mum?' James asked, sounding much like a child.

'I don't know… The bloody Healers won't tell me anything!' he said.

'Elizabeth will be fine… She's strong… She's strong..' said Sirius, obviously trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

'I'll leave you three now… Please tell me if anything changes, Harold.' Said Minerva, smiling reassuringly.

'I will, Minerva. Thank you for bringing them.'

The woman left and the Potters and Sirius sat down.

Sirius started to tap his foot on the floor like he did when he was nervous, Harold started to fumble through the magazine laid out on the little coffee table before them and James went into 'Full Lockdown', he kept his eyes closed and arms folded, not moving or saying a word whatsoever.

An hour must've passed when a tall man with grey hair and a moustache came out of the examining area. His ID said Healer Richards.

'Mr. Potter?' he asked, looking through his chart and back to the three guys in front of him.

'How's my Lizzie?' Harold asked, his voice a choked up whisper.

Healer Richards looked at the three worried faces staring at him and sighed.

'I'm afraid is very grave. We think it's Muggle cancer and, unfortunately, at this stage, it's incurable.' He said, calmly. 'She is very weak now and, given her age, although she's in great physical condition, I'm afraid she doesn't have much time left. A few months at the most.'

Harold and Sirius gasped. James closed his eyes and started to cry silently.

'Would you like to see her now?' asked the Healer. Harold shot him a glare.

'What do you think?'

….

Sirius watched the two male Potters behaviour. They were very distinct. Harold Potter would let it all out and be angry or sad, he would talk about what was bothering him and had no problem showing his feelings. James, on the other hand, bottled everything up. When something truly affected him, he didn't talk about it, he got into Lockdown mode and no one in the entire world could get him to talk. Sirius himself wasn't too keen on sharing feelings, but he didn't like to keep things down, since he was a very loud person naturally.

'Hi, sweethearts…' said Elizabeth Potter as the three entered the room. She was in a hospital gown and had a weak smile on her lips. Her long hair was tied up in a ponytail and all of her jewellry and her watch lay on the bedside table next to her.

'Lizzie, how are you feeling?' asked Harold, approaching her bed. Sirius and James stood behind, watching the couple's interaction.

'I'm a tad tired, honey, but I'll be fine…' she said, trying to sound optimistic. 'Healer Richardson talked to me a while ago…' she looked down at her hands and, like she always did, started to spin her engagement ring – the only thing, besides her wedding ring, that she hadn't removed - on her finger.

Sirius looked at James standing next to him. His friend had removed his glasses and was now hiding his eyes with his hands. He could hear the soft sobbing noises he made. Elizabeth looked at him and smiled sweetly.

'Boys, come here…' she said softly. They came closer and Sirius smiled at her.

'You look great…' he said. She smiled.

'You are too flattering, sweetheart. I'm sorry to worry you boys…'

'It's no problem at all, Liz! Remus'll catch us up…' he said.

Harold got up and gave his wife a peck on the lips.

'Let's get some coffee, Sirius…' he said, leading the boy outside by the shoulder.

'What's up?' Sirius asked once they were outside.

'I think James needs some time alone with his mother…' Harold said. Sirius nodded and they went for coffee.

…..

'Hi, sweetie.' His mother said softly, holding his hand. James looked up from his hands and he knew his eyes were bloodshot and watery.

'Do you need anything, Mum?' he asked, trying to get the lump out of his throat.

'I need you to talk to me. Sit.' She pulled him and made him sit down next to her. She ran a delicate hand through his right cheek. 'I love you, sweetie.'

'I love you too, Mum…' he said, letting more tears fall. 'Did he tell you..?'

'Yes, darling, he did. And I've made my peace with it. I've cried and been sad, but now I'm glad that I still get to spend some time with you boys and your father…' she said. 'I still have time… And you'll be home for Easter… We'll have lots of fun and lots of chocolates!' she said, smiling teary. James chuckled, always teary, and hugged his mother, this saint of a woman who didn't even let death stand in the way of her happiness.

'I don't want to go back to Hogwarts and leave you, Mummy…' he said in the hug. He sounded like a child and his mother hugged him tighter.

'I know, sweetie, but you have duties. I have duties. We have to do what were have to before we do what we want to. Always remember that, ok?' she said. She looked at him in the eye. Their eyes were the same and they expressed the same feelings as well. Love, sadness, fear. James nodded and kissed his mother on the cheek.

'Ok! I'm tired of this sad stuff! Tell me about school! How's my sweet sweet Lily Evans?' she said, giggling afterwards.

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'Where on Earth are they?' asked Lily, pacing through the Common Room after dinner. 'They left after lunch, for Merlin's sake!'

'I'm sure everything's alright… It has to be.' Said Mary.

Remus and Peter walked in looking grim. Remus went up the stairs without saying a word to them and Emmeline looked after him sadly, then stared at Peter, who sat down at the chair next to the girls.

'What happened?' she asked.

Peter looked up from the fire. He had a few tears in his eyes.

'Sirius wrote to us… They'll be back for lunch tomorrow.' He said. His eyes went back to the fire.

'Is everything alright, Pete?' asked Hestia, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He shook his head.

'It's Mrs. Potter… She's very sick.' He said, then began to cry. 'She's—She's dy-dying…'

The girls gasped. Lily remembered her from the Hospital Wing. The happy woman that was so much like James. She couldn't help but feel devastated by this piece of news.

'Oh, my… James must be so sad…' said Emmeline, resting her chin on her hands.

Peter nodded. 'He is… Sirius mentioned that he'd been crying all day. He's in Full Lockdown as well, which means that he won't talk to anybody. Remus has it too… They don't like to share feelings…' he said. 'Sirius is really sad as well… Mrs. Potter is like a mother to him… They were a family, you know? They welcomed Sirius when he left his house, they treated him like a son… It's just so sad what's happening to them right now. She shouldn't have to die.'

The girls were all looking at Peter with tears in their eyes. It was all very true. Lily knew it. And she found it incredibly unfair that evil people like He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, the Malfoys, the Blacks and all the other anti-Muggles could go on living life, killing the ones they found inappropriate, while amazing people like Elizabeth Potter got a disease and it was in bedrest waiting to die. Lily felt the tears falling down her cheeks and didn't really want them to stop. She looked up to see Mary and Hestia embracing a now-crying Peter. It had been a horrible day.

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'Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!' James heard in the middle of his Lily-dream. He had those everyday, where the world was perfect and he could just sit with Lily and kiss her and call her his girlfriend. The he had just been rudely awakened from was their wedding. She had just said 'I do'. He opened his eyes grumply, to find his best mate jumping up and down in front of his bed. James picked his glasses from the nightstand and put them on, and everything was focused again.

'What?' he asked. James was still a bit down for his mother. His friends being there for him definitely helped, but he still felt like his world could crumble at any minute.

'No need to be so grumpy, my friend, for today is a joyful day!' bellowed Sirius. Remus and Peter chuckled next to him. James' eyes went wide when he realised Peter was awake before he was. And – he looked at his watch – it was six in the morning on a Tuesday.

'Would you care to share the reason why you woke me up on my Happy Day in this ungodly hour?' James said, getting up and going to brush his teeth.

'You seriously don't know?' Remus asked, a smirk appearing on his face.

'No idea whatsoever.' Said the boy with toothpaste foam all over his mouth. He finished, changed and the four went down the stairs into the Great Hall for breakfast.

James stared at his friends suspiciously. They all had grins on their faces and looked way too happy for comfort. He was starting to think something was up.

When they arrived at the breakfast table and sat down, James had had enough of that and snapped.

'What the bloody hell is going on?' he asked.

'What's the date today?' asked Remus, looking at his watch.

'Twenty-seventh of March, now could you please fill me in?' he asked yet again.

'Did you hit your head? Did your brain fall out?' asked Sirius. 'What's the date, James?'

'March twenty—Aaaaw… It's my birthday!' a happy smile ran across his face. He clapped his hands happily. 'I'm seventeen today!'

'Captain Obvious, to the rescue!' said Remus in a low voice. Sirius and Peter laughed while James rolled his eyes.

'Happy B-day, Jamesie!' said Hestia, coming in their direction. The girls all followed her and wished him a happy birthday as well.

'Thanks!' he said. Then the owl mail arrived and he got a package from home. It was the now re-established daily letter from his Mum – they had stopped writign everyday on third year because James had more classes and less time – and a gift from his parents.

'What did you get?' asked Sirius, looking curiously at the package.

'A Quaffle autographed by Jocelind Wadcock!' James exclaimed excitedly. 'Dad said he got it from Kennilworthy Whisp! That is awesome!'

'And who are those people?' asked Mary shyly.

James and Sirius gasped.

'Jocelind Wadcock is simply the best-scoring Chaser Puddlemere ever had! And Kennilworthy Whisp is the best Quidditch writer in History!' he said solemnly. Sirius, meanwhile, nodded forcefully. Remus and the girls rolled their eyes, while Peter beamed at the two boys. 'Never mind that… I am going to take this baby into the dorm and put a whole lotta safety charms around it. Bye!' Jamesa stood up and made his way out.

Lily got up after him, picked up an apple and a banana, a rand after him.

'James, hang on!' she said. He stopped midwalk and waited for her. 'Happy birthday!' she smiled.

He did so as well and nodded. It was always like this now, as Lily noticed. If James was around a large group of people, he was he was he old self, happy and talkative, but when he was alone, or when it was just them, like in patrols, he became quiet and reclusive. It was "The Lockdown". She hated it. Probably because she liked to throw things and cry a lot when she was upset.

'Are you feeling better?' she asked. He looked at her and shrugged. 'You do realise you forgot to eat breakfast, right? And that you've been "forgetting" to eat a lot lately?'

'Yeah… I'm just never hungry anymore.' Lily sighed. Why coulnd't he be one of those people who ate their feelings? That way she didn't have to worry about anemia and starvation.

'But you have to eat! Here. I brought you some fruit. Please, eat it… I don't want you coming down with a sickness or falling out of your broom during practice…' she said, giving him the fruit she'd brought. James smiled down at her.

'Where would I be without you, Lils?' he said fondly. 'Thank you… It does mean a lot to me that you care…'

'Of course I care… We're friends, right?' it pained her to say this, because she wanted to say "I love you" and "I'll always be here for you!". He smiled sadly and nodded.

'Yes… we're friends.'

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It started to rain a bit after lunch that Tuesday, and it was really heavy rain. The Gryffindor Quidditch Team had just finished with practice and they were all soaking wet, and all walking like zombies back to the Common Room. Sirius sat down tiredly in the sofa between Peter and Remus, who looked at him with concern.

'You're going to catch a cold.' He said simply.

'Yeah… Just give me a minute… James worked our arses off today.' He said.

'Where is he, by the way?' asked Hestia.

'Still out there, flying…' he said. His eyes were sad when he said it. Sirius then got up and made his way to the dorm to take a shower.

'James is trying to forget, isn't he?' asked Mary, looking at the two Marauders sitting with them. Peter nodded.

'That's what he does… Peter here likes to eat… I read and Sirius, well, he "goes around", if you know what I mean… James flies.' Remus said. 'I guess we all have our own ways to unwind and get away from the world… Unfortunately, he chose a very poor day to do that… It's raining cats and dogs out there…'

They heard a hiss and a black shadow went running past them and out the Portrait Hole.

'Sergio, get back here!' Lily said, coming down the stairs of the girls' dorm.

'What happened?' asked Emmeline.

'I don't know! He just got really upset about something and fled! Sergio!' Lily ran out after the cat. She called after him and went on the way of the hissing and meowing. If he got lost in this immense castle all by himself, Lily didn't know what she'd do to herself.

She saw the cat's sillhouette leaving the castle and running towards the Pitch.

'Bloody hell!' she exclaimed, following him out and getting drenched within seconds. She walked in the Pitch and saw nothing. And the rain wouldn't quit.

'SERGIO! WHERE ARE YOU?' she yelled, not even being able to hear herself through the sound of the water. A tall figure appeared next to her.

'Lily?'

'AAAH!' she jumped in fear. She drew her wand and hear a chuckle.

'It's me Lily.' She saw James standing before her. His hair was sticking to his forehead and his wasn't wearing glasses. His clothes were soaking wet and sticking to his body. 'What are you doing here?' he asked.

'Sergio ran away and came here and now I can't find him!' she said, crying a bit. They were very close to each other to be able to hear what the other was saying and Lily could, even through the wall of water, smell James' cologne and boy scent. Mixed with grass and… _Amortencia_! She though, smiling to herself. _Even my nose knew before I did… For Merlin's sake!_

'Lucky you I'm a pretty decent Seeker… Let's find Mr. Sergio, shall we?' he asked. Lily nodded and followed him. He stopped suddenly and turned to her. 'I think if I'm a stag it'll be easier to find him…' he said. Lily nodded. The rain was less furious now and they could hear each other normally and see things.

James stood very still and closed his eyes. Then his body started to take the animal shape much like McGonagall's did when she showed how she became a cat. _She'd be useful right about now_, Lily though. Then the most majestic stag appeared in front of her. James' antlers were beautiful and they looked a bit unruly, much like his hair. He was also very large and tall and Lily could barely reach his eyes.

'Wow…' she whispered. The stag turned to face her and nodded to the side. So they started to look for the cat.

They split, Lily going for the Pitch, and James going for the outskirts of the Forest. After a few minutes, nothing. He came back and nothing as well. James turned human again.

'He wasn't in the Forest, which is a good sign…' he said, taking long breaths. 'Maybe in the lockers?'

Lily nodded and followed him into the lockers. It was so quiet and warm in there that she felt a bit uncomfortable at first.

'Sergio!' she called again.

'Sergio, come here!' said James, looking under benches. Suddenly there was a soft meow coming from afar and they stared at each other, smiling widely.

'We found him!' Lily squealed, running towards the sound.

Sergio was licking his paw, sitting quietly near the girls' shower. He was all wet and dirty, but Lily never found him cuter. She picked him up and squeezed him very tight.

'That's it! You're getting a leash, mister!' she said, trying to sound stern, but coming out giggly and relieve instead.

James let out a breath and smiled. He scratched he cat's little head.

'I'm glad you're ok, little man… We almost freak out out there!' he said.

'Thank you for the help, James… I know I interrupted your practice and everything but—'

'It's fine… I was just flying about…' he smiled. Lily nodded and made her way out being followed by James.

'We should get back. I ran like crazy out the door and they must be worried…' she said.

James opened the door for her and they went to the castle in silence.

'Your stag shape is really handsome…' she said, breaking the silence. James was startled by the comment, but grinned.

'Thanks…' he said. 'I think so, too… Because Sirius is a shaggy dog and Peter is a mouse… I'm the cool one…' he chuckled.

'Do your parents know?' she asked.

'I haven't told them… But I think Mum knows…' he said, his face falling a bit. Lily nodded.

'She's an amazing woman, isn't she?'

James snorted.

'Yeah. Pretty amazing… She's perfect, you know? Smart, kind, funny… She's also kind of a role model… I don't know… I guess, growing up, Dad worked a lot and he didn't spend as much time at home as Mum did, so I kind grew closer to her… Now that he's closer to retirement, we spend more time together, me and Dad…' he said. 'Sorry, I'm mumbling…'

Lily smiled fondly.

'It's good to talk about these things.' She said. 'The way you look at her is very endearing, like she's a superhero or something…'

James chuckled. 'Well, she raised me, right? She had to at least be canonised, in my opinion…'

Lily started to laugh.

'You're insufferable, James.'

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_**N/A: **_**Oh, my God, how much free time do you have?**_** You might ask… Let me tell ya, a lot! Having notes scribbled down also helps me writing things faster, cause I don't have to make things up on the spot, eh? Anyway! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and that's it… I will see you in the next one… Since I promised this one would be at the end of the week and it's still Tuesday, I won't promise dates anymore, just go with the flow, ha-ha.**_

_**Marauder-on!**_


	16. And Then They Fought

_**N/A: Hello! Oh, dear! I love your reviews! They are really great, so thank ever so much! Anyway, this is the sixteenth… Really cool and exciting – well, not particularly, but not all of them are, eh? I'll try to get a lot done this week because the weekend will be bu-SAY! The Lion King opens and there's a drawing workshop that I'm supposed to go to… Anyway, this is all my un-interesting jibber-jabber… I hope you enjoy this! On you go now…**_

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#16 – And then they fought…

'Dad says Mum's doing better… She goes to garden now and takes care of her flowers…' James said while reading the letter his father had sent him. Sirius smiled and nodded while eating his cereal.

'That's good!' said Remus. 'You're going home for Easter, then?'

James nodded. 'Yeah… I really need to spend time with her…'

'Can't wait for the chocolates!' said Peter. The three others stopped what they were doing and stared at their mousy friend. 'What..?'

'Never mind…' said Remus. His eyes twinkled. 'I am also kidn of excited for all the chocolates… Although, I'm spending Easter here, so…'

'Oh, it's the best!' said Sirius. 'I spent out first two Easters in Hogwarts here, right? And there's so much food! And no classes whatsoever! It's bliss!'

'Bliss? It's just chocolate…' James said, receiving glares from Remus and Peter.

'Just chocolate? Just? Prongs, chocolate is a way of life!' said Peter.

'And that is the most forceful you've ever been, Wormy…' said Sirius, patting his shoulder.

James smiled. 'Ok, then… I still don't get it, though… I'd honestly rather have a slice of treacle tart or a piece of fruit…' he said. Peter pretended to vomit.

'How could you eat that!'

'What? It's, like, my second favourite dessert ever, after wedding cake, which is awesome!' he said, entering into a land of daydreams and lemon desserts. His friends rolled their eyes and went back to breakfast.

'Oi! When's the Quidditch final?' asked Sirius, suddenly.

'Well, we're in already… But there's still a Slythering vs. Hufflepuff match – which points towards Slytherin – but if Hufflepuff wins, we're going up against Ravenclaw…' James said absentmindedly.

'How can you remember all that?' asked Hestia Jones, sitting next to the boys. Emmeline Vance came after her, followed by Mary McDonald.

'Where's Lily?' he asked.

'That doesn't answer my question, dumbnut…' she said.

'I remember because I'm the Captain and I am awesome and I have a good memory… And where is Lily?'

'Library… We have the first period free, so she decided to get some work done…' she answered. 'Why?'

'He's in looooove…' said Sirius, looking up from his food and smiling goofily.

'Am not! Shut your trap! Eat your food!' exclaimed James, his face getting extremely red. The girls laughed.

'It's no secret, darling…' said Emmeline. 'It's written all over your face.'

'SIRIUS! NOT AGAIN!' yelled James, trying to clean his face with his hands.

'She doesn't mean it literally, James…' said Remus, sounding bored. 'Hm, Sirius wrote "James loves Lily" on Prongs' forehead a couple of years back…' he explained to the confused girls, who laughed even more. James rolled his eyes.

'It wasn't funny!'

'I remember that! Oh, Merlin! You only realised that you had something on your face in the middle of the second period!' said Mary, giggling.

'I don't like you people anymore!' James pouted, leaving the table and his friends laughing behind him.

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Lily was working on her 'why-does-it-have-to-be-so-long' Transfiguration essay when James sat in front of her in the library.

'Hello!' he said merrily. She sighed.

'Yes?'

'Ouch… Are we back to hating each other?'

'No.. Sorry… I'm just really tired of writing this… It's so long!'

'That's what she said!'

'How old are you again?'

'Sorry…' he said, ruffling his hair. 'Need help?'

'No, I'm fine… Do you need something?'

'Nah… it's just that we've been so busy with school lately that I haven't had a chance to talk to you…'

'About...?'

'Nothing in particular… I just wanted to thank you again for listening to me mope around the past few weeks.'

Lily smiled at him.

'James, we are friends… You can talk to me whenever you want. I'm here for you! Besides, girls loooove to talk about feelings and all that…' she said.

'Thanks… I'm really glad I have you… As, erm, my friends, I mean…'

She chuckled. 'I got it…'

James smiled shyly and looked down at the table. Lily went back to her work. They fell into a comfortable silence.

Lily was happy she and James were friends now, but she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to date him. Of course, since she liked him so much, but also because he seemed to different now, almost like another person completely. She glanced at him and absorbed his quiet mannerisms. The way he moved his jaw when he was chewing on his cheek. The way he scratched his nose. The way he politely put his hand in front of his mouth before coughing quietly. She smiled at those gestures that made him so him. But he still looked so sad. All she wanted was to hold him and made everything go away. His mother's illness, the war, school, Quidditch… No preocupations… Lily missed that genuine smile he gave when he was truly happy and she hadn't seen it in so long.

'So…' she started. James looked up at her. 'Sergio did the cutest thing yesterday!'

James smiled widely. 'Yeah?'

'Yes! I was reading in bed and he jumped up and down, then sat on top of my book, curled up and purred… It was a-dorable!' she said, smiling.

James made a very high-pitched "awn" sound, then cleared his throat.

'You did not hear that.' He said, in a low voice, got up and left.

Lily chuckled after him.

_Why are you so cute?_ She though.

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That had been a long day. Lily didn't have lunch or dinner with her friends, but she managed to finishe every piece of homework she had for the next two weeks. Her Easter would be completely free. When she arrived at the Gryffindor Common Room at half past eleven, she didn't expect to find anybody there but her cat. However, there was one occupant.

Sirius was sitting in front of the fire, looking at a picture.

'Hey…' she said tiredly, sitting next to him. The picture he was holding was of himself and the Potters having a laugh. They were moving happily. The woman in the picture, Elizabeth Potter, smiled at all the three men in her life. She looked at Sirius in the way a mother looks at a son. Mr. Potter looked very happy, and so did James.

'Hi…' he said, in the smallest voice Lily had ever heard him use.

'How are you holding up?' asked Lily, looking at him, her eyes filled with concern.

He shrugged. 'I dunno… It's weird.'

'Why?'

'It just feels like I shouldn't be as sad as I actually am… I mean, she's not my mum, you know?'

'But she thinks of you as her son, right? And James calls you his brother.'

'Yeah…'

'It's ok to feel sad, Sirius…' she said. 'You love them very much, right?'

He nodded. She saw a small tear threaten to fall from his eye.

'They are like the family I never had… I just—I can't believe that something like that should happen to such good people…' he said. 'They took me with open arms. Gave me a home. Liz gave me the love my own mother never did… And now she's—'

'I know…' Lily whispered, putting one hand on top of his.

They just sat there. Lily holding his hand and Sirius crying silently.

'Have you talked to James about this?' she asked finally.

'I can't bring myself to... He's just so sad all the time… I don't want him to worry about me, you know?'

'I'm sure he'd like to talk to you about these things…' she said. 'Only you can support each other because you feel the same pain…'

He nodded again.

Lily never thought she'd been having such a deep conversation with Sirius Black. He didn't seem like the kind of guy who felt in such depth. Apparently, he was just the type of guy who liked to suffer alone. At least he didn't bottle up like James did.

He gave her a weird look a few minutes later.

'What are you doing?' he asked. 'Why are you trying to help me, Evans?' she was stunned by that. Lily had the best intentions in the world, she couldn't believe he was talking to her like that.

'I'm just trying to be nice, Sirius.' She said. 'You're James' best mate and I—'

'You're getting too comfortable around him…' he said. 'It's giving him false hope, you know.'

'What are you implying?'

'Look, I just think that with your history, you shouldn't hang around him so much. Especially now that he's so vulnerable.'

'Are you mental?' she got up and glared at him. 'I'm just trying to help him through this! And you! I want to be friendly and—'

'You are telling me that you have no feelings for him, then?'

Lily couldn't answer that. She didn't know what to say.

'So you do?'

'Maybe! I don't know… I'm still trying to figure things out!'

'Well, I wouldn't if I were you…' he said, also getting up and staring down at her, since he was way taller.

'Are saying he doesn't like me anymore?' she asked fearfully. He gave a sarcastic snort.

'No, Evans. He still loves you, don't worry. But he's tired of getting his heart broken. And, honestly, I am tired of picking up the pieces!' he said with a tone of rage in his voice. Lily's eyes were filled with tears now as she stared at him, trying to get a reaction. 'Don't look at me like that. Pete and Remus might've forgiven you, even James might've forgiven you, but I'll never forget all of those times he came back to us, incredibly sad by the way you had turned him down yet again. He's cried over you and he's been depressed over you. He spent half of the last summer moping around, not eating, being depressed and sad over your rejection… What I'm trying to say is that I can't trust you around him, Evans, because you've hurt him too much… He's my brother, and I love him and it's my job to protect him.'

'From me? I'm—Look! I've changed! He's changed! And you don't have the right yo meddle into our relationship!'

'You have no relationship!'

'We are friends! We are getting to know each other! You don't know how I feel! I bet you don't even know how he feels!'

'Oh, get off your high horse! Do you actually think you understand him after a few months of friendship? Only because we told you our secret doesn't make you the expert in us!' he bellowed. 'I know about that bloody necklace he gave you, as well… James likes grand gestures… And he thinks you two are meant to be… Because he's too blind to see how harmful you are!'

'I understand that you are only looking for your friend…' said Lily, trying to be understanding but her voice was soaked in anger and rage. '… but you have no idea what you are talking about. This is way beyond your ken! You are just a… a… a man whore who snogs everything you see with no regard for others' feelings! You break girls hearts all the time and now you're trying to teach me about feelings? Who do you think you are, Black?' she said, turning around, giving him another dirty look and going up her stairs.

She walked into her dormroom and leaned against the door. Tears started to fall furiously down her cheeks and she started to sob. The girls all stared at her.

'Lils, what happened?' asked Mary, huggin her. Lily shook her head and pulled apart from the hug. She shook her head again and went to the bathroom. She couldn't tell them about her row with Sirius Black. She was angry, yes, but they were friends with him and she didn't want them to be mad at him. After all, Lily herself had said some pretty bad things. _You are such a git, Evans… Getting in a fight with his best mate isn't the best way to getting the guy!_ She thought to herself, while staring at her weepy reflexion.

'Dammit.' She muttered, leaving the bathroom, changing into her pajamas and getting in bed, all the while avoiding her friends worried looks. It took a while for her to fall asleep and when she did, her dreams were not pretty.

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It had been a rather strange week for James Potter. He woke up and went so sleep everyday. Talked to his mates. Read a book. Played Quidditch… But something was a bit off. It was like things around him had shifted somehow. Lily had been acting weird around him and, to think of it, so was Sirius.

He asked Remus if he knew what was going on when they were doing their Runes essay together in the library on a Friday.

'I have no idea… I've actually noticed it as well…' he replied.

'It's a bit odd, right? I'm not imagining things?'

'No, you're right… It's like Lily's scared to talk to him and he seems to be angry at her… Silently angry, by angry nonetheless…' Remus said, not looking up from his piece of writing. James nodded.

'You don't think-?'

'What? No! James! Are you crazy?'

'What? I was going to say that they maybe had a fight or something… What did you think it was?'

'Never mind…' Remus cleared his throat. James gave hia stern look. 'Fine! I thought you were going to say that maybe they were having some sort of a "thing" or whatever…'

'I'd never say that! Or think that! Firstly because I definitely do not want to fathom the idea of Lily with some one else – especially my best mate – and secondly because Padfoot'd never do that to me…'

'I know that… Anyway, yeah… They probably got into a fight…'

'What would Lily and Sirius fight over?'

Remus shrugged. 'Look, worrying about those two won't take us anywhere… Let's just finish this and grab something to eat at the Kitchens?'

James nodded and went back to his essay, trying to push Lily and Sirius out of his mind.

…

They walked into the Common Room and it was particularly silent. The tension was palpable and the first years around the room looked a bit scared.

Sirius sat next to the fire, reading a book with a frown, Peter sitting next to him. Lily sat on the other side of the room with the girls and she was glaring at the back of his head.

James and Remus looked at each other with questioning expressions.

'What should we do?' whispered Remus. 'Where do we go?' he glanced at Emmeline, who was staring at him nervously.

'I think we should go over to Pads… He looks angry, plus it's the bro code.' James whispered back, nodding. Remus agreed and followed him, throwing his girlfriend an apologetic look.

'Hey, Padfoot! Wormtail! What's up?' asked James, sitting next to his mates. Peter looked at him with wide eyes.

'Hi…' he said nervously.

Sirius looked at him and smiled. 'Hey… You guys finished the essay?'

His smiled seemed to ease the entire atmosphere of the room. He had relaxed his shoulder and was no longer frowning.

'Yeppers! Done and done! Anyway, I was think maybe we could grab the you-know-whats and go over to you-know-where and stuff our Easter-train stash?' James asked. Sirius smiled widely.

'Seriously?' he asked, with genuine happiness in his voice.

'Definitely! Pete, Remus? You in?' he asked.

'Sure… Could be fun… I'm running out of chocolates anyway…' said Remus.

'I'd love to… But I still have loads of homework to finish…'

'Oh, well… We'll bring you something, Wormy.' James said. 'Shall we go now?'

Sirius nodded, got up and went up the stair case.

Remus and James followed him.

'Brilliant idea…' said Remus.

'Thank you, kind sir…' said James, removing an imaginary tophat and taking a bow.

…

'Is everything alright, Padfoot?' asked James, after they had arrived from their evening-escapade. He put his Cloak in his trunk and hid the Map on his drawer. Sirius looked at him strangely.

'Why wouldn't it be?' he asked.

'I dunno… You've been acting weirdly lately, that's all…'

'It's nothing… Just, erm, a lot in my mind…' he said. James didn't really believe that, but shrugged anyway. It was very late and he was too tired to worry about these things. They had a match in a few weeks and he was planning on working out every morning at five, so he had to go to sleep earlier to make up for it.

As Sirius left to the bathroom, James stripped to his pajamas – T-shirt and boxer shorts – and went to sleep.

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_**N/A: Hello, mates! It took me a while longer to update this, but I hope you've enjoyed this! It's very very cold and windy and rainy, so I'll be stuck in the house for a long time in the weekend, maybe be able to squeeze in a couple of new chapters… Let the drama commence! Anyway, thank you for all the support and for all the reviews, and keep reading and reviewing, please, it makes me happy and it makes me want to write more! **_

_**Marauder-on! **_


	17. Happy Easter?

_**N/A: Oh, my God, you guys! The Lion King in 3D is amazing! You must watch it! You must finish this chapter and go to the nearest cinema that's showing it and go watch it! It's soooo my favourite movie of all time! T.T Crying tears of happiness! Ok, now! Back to business! Walcome to chapter 17! Let's get this party started!**_

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#17 – Happy Easter?

James awoke at the sound of complete and utter silence. It was alien to him at that moment. So calm, so silent in the morning. Then he remembered that it was his first morning home for Easter. The boy put on his glasses and a T-shirt and looked around his bedroom.

He never realised how much he missed it. He loved going back home for holidays. He liked Minni's cooking and the library, the sofa in the lounge and the very old Muggle telly his father had bought in a charity shop a few years before. He loved his mother's beautiful garden, filled with lilies and tulips and roses, and most of all, the loved spending time with his parents.

His bedroom was the size of the boys dorm at Hogwarts. He had a king-sized bed with the most coziest blankets and duvets and pillows in the world. His walls were filled with Muggle and Wizard posters with pictures of bands, films and his favourite Quidditch team, Puddlemere United. There was a big desk next to the window with lots of pieces of parchment on top of it, bottles of ink and quills; a bookshelf filled with books and comic books; his walk-in closet that linked with a en suite bathroom; and, last bot not least, his Gryffindor Quidditch trophies for best Chaser. James smiled looking at all of those memories, those things that shower who he was. On top of his desk there were pictures of him with the Marauders, him with his parents and a rather old picture of his parents' wedding. They were radiant. His mother looked beautiful. He loved that picture and always picture what would be like to feel that much at ease, so happy and blissful that everything around is perfect. He smiled.

'James?' he heard a voice followed by a light knock on his door.

'Come in, Dad.' James said, putting the picture down.

'Hey, you're up early!'

'I haven't got used to the silence yet…'

His father chuckled.

'Oh, well… Are you ready for breakfast?'

James nodded. 'I was just going down…'

'Actually… Your mother wants to go and have a breakfast picnic at the Hyde Park…'

James' eyes went wide. 'She does?'

His father nodded. 'Put on some clothes and meet us downstairs in twenty, alright?' James agreed. 'I'll go wake the other lump.' He chuckled again and left.

James went to his bathroom and took a quick shower. He was bit worried about his mother leaving the house, given that she was very fragile at the moment – she had even lost her hair and was now wearing scarves to hide her bald head – but he felt that perhaps that's what she needed, fresh air and happy moments. And he needed it as well… He needed to stay with his mother as much as possible before…

Twenty minutes later and wearing a white polo shirt, a dark green cardigan, brown demin trousers and upper canvas black Chuck Taylor All Stars, James made his way down the stairs and met his parents in the kitchen. His mother smiled widely as she put all sorts of delicious food into a wicker basket. His father looked at her lovingly and James wondered if he'd ever have what his parents had.

'Morning!' he said cheerfully.

'Good morning, sweetheart!' his mother said, hugging him and giving him a big kiss on the cheek. 'How did you sleep?'

'Great! I really miss my bed at Hogwarts…' he said. His parents laughed.

'I know, that thing is amazing! You know, sometimes, when your dad is away for some Ministry Auror raid, I sneak into your bedroom and sleep in your bed because it's so comfy!' his mother confessed, giving him a "I-am-so-naughty-he-he" look. James smiled fondly.

'I knew it! It felt slept on!' he chuckled.

'Morning, Potters!' said Sirius walking in wearing black jeans, a Ramones T-shirt and a black sweater. He also had a very fancy pair of Ray-Ban wayfarers on and smiled happily. 'Ready for breakfast magnificence, because the life of the par-tay has arrived!'

'Morning, darling!' said Mrs. Potter.

After a few minutes of chatting and wishing good mornings, the family left the house and, with James carrying the basket with food, made their way to the park. From where they were in Kensington, it only took them about ten minutes of walking to the park. There, James sat the basket down under a very nice tree and Mr. Potter put a blanket down for them to sit on. Sirius went to the chair rental place and got them wooden chairs. Then they started to eat the amazing breakfast.

'This croissant is delicious!' Mrs. Potter said, eating a piece of it. 'Did you know that this is homemade jam?'

'Really? You made it or Minni?' James asked, taking a sip of his strawberry juice.

Mrs. Potter chuckled.

'It was Minni, obviously… The only thing I can make in the kitchen is treacle tart…' she said smiling.

'The best ever…' Mr. Potter said, taking her hand. She beamed at him and blushed. James and Sirius smiled.

'What are we doing for Easter?' Sirius asked.

Mrs. Potter clapped her hands excitedly.

'I was thinking a delicious supper! With roast turkey and potatoes and gravy!' she said. 'I should be gorgeous, of course! What do you think, Harold?'

'Sounds yummy! I'll get the ingredients tomorrow!'

'Could you get them at Whole Foods?' asked James. Three pairs of eyes stared at him. 'What?'

'What's Whole Foods?' asked Sirius lifting an eyebrow.

'It's like that healthy part of the Selfridges, but healthier… It's got great stuff too! Mary was telling me they have all these organic grains and…'

'Why are you so conscious lately?'asked Mr. Potter.

James shrugged. 'I dunno… Just don't feel like eating anything bad… Besides, it's better for your health if you eat good things! And by health I mean Quidditch, and my better I mean no floppy and sloppy and sleepy.' He said, giving Sirius a stern look. 'Since we have the Final coming up, I'd like to keep in shape.'

'I'm in shape!'

'Barely!'

'Boys!' exclaimed Mrs. Potter. 'I agree with James… You should start eating healthier… I mean, when I was your age, I didn't put any of that greasy stuff in my mouth…' she said.

'Yeah, but you were like Miss Perfect…' said Sirius.

'Well, maybe… But that got me all O's in my OWLs and NEWTs, Head Girl position, the House Cup for seven years in a row, plus a very very good job with the Daily Prophet as soon as I left school. And I kept my shape through it all…' she said, nodding with a smirk. Mr. Potter rolled his eyes and smiled.

'I don't know about that, hon, because I was Captain of the Quidditch team for three years and didn't even look at salads during dinner…' he said, smirking back at her.

'Ha! See?' said Sirius. James rolled his eyes.

'Doesn't mean you should follow the example! Sirius, this is my first Cup as Captain, I need to win this!'

'We'd be so proud!' said Mrs. Potter. 'But can we please discuss something other than Quidditch?'

'Right on! So, I was with a girl, right…' Sirius started and the Potters rolled their eyes together, sighing.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

'Oh Merlin, I love Easter!' said Hestia, picking up another piece of chocolate from the table. The girls were hanging out in the Common Room with Peter and Remus, who were also staying to the holiday. Emmeline was curled up next to her boyfriend, eating the ears of a chocolate bunny. Mary was reading the package of some Hershey's Kisses and Lily was petting Sergio and giving him cat treats.

'It is good… No kids around, just like Christmas!' said Lily happy. Remus looked at her strangely and got up, receiving a glare from Emmeline.

'Man, I could really use some hot chocolate! I'm going to the Kitchens! Lily, why don't you come with me? I feel like we haven't talked in ages!' he said that very fast and all the girls stared at him.

'Okay…' Lily rpelied slowly, lifiting an eyebrow.

'Awesome! Come!' he pulled her out of the door. Then they started to walk silently to the Kitchens. She glanced at him a few times, while he opened and closed his mouth, as if he was trying to say something, but couldn't quite get the words right.

'Remus, what's up?' she finally asked. 'Why did you drag me out of the cozy Common Room to walk with you to the Kitchens?'

He sighed.

'James and I are worried…' he said. 'Because you and Sirius seem to be hating each other right now and we don't know why or even what to do about it…'

'Right… We had a bit of a misunderstanding…' she said, trying to sound nonchalant. 'A big row, actually…'

'Why?'

'James…' she said in a small voice.

'Why would you have a fight about—wait! You don't…_like_ him, do you?'

Lily looked up at him and shrugged.

'I think I do… I mean, my knees get all week when I talk to him, and I get butterflies… And I can't stop thinking about him… And I'm pretty sure my Amortencia smells like him…' she said. Remus' eyes got wide. He stared at her with a weird expression. She noticed the corners of his mouth flinching, trying to hide a smile.

'Seriously? And why would you fight about that?' he asked.

'He thinks I'd be bad for James… Like I'd just dump him like rubbish! I'd never do that! And then, then! I called him a "man whore" and said he shouldn't be telling me how to treat other people's feelings because he is an expert in breaking hearts!' Lily said, getting angrier and angrier every word she spoke. Remus just nodded along, still smiling.

'He's very overprotective of James you see…'

'But why?'

'Because he's the only innocent one… He's so naïve sometimes… I mean, I have all of these "furry little problem" issues where the society doesn't accept me and yadda yadda yadda… Peter has his own screwed up family life, where his Dad ran out on them and his Mum was depressed for a very long time, and Sirius is the worst! His family is just… not good for a young person developing emotionally, you know? But James is not crewed up. His parents always pampered him very much, always protected him very much in a way that the pain he felt when you rejected him for example, was the worst pain he'd ever felt… You know?'

Lily's eyes grew wide. She never thought about that. Every person had family problems, but apparently James had family-bliss. Parents that loved him, no siblings, no money issues…

'I see…' she said in a whisper. 'Right…'

'We don't want to see our friend getting hurt again. Especially now with his Mum sick…'

Lily nodded.

They arrived to the Kitchens, got their orders and left in silence.

'I won't, though…' she said, breakig the long silence.

'What?'

'I don't want to hurt him…' she said.

He smiled.

'I know you don't… I trust you and your ability to like others… Sirius never got the chance to get to know you like I did last year…'

he said simply.

'Yeah, that makes sense… Maybe you should lock us in a room and only let us leave when we're best friends!'

Remus chuckled.

'Sounds like a plan… I'll pitch that to James and Pete after the holiday!'

Lily smiled.

'Thanks for trusting me.' She said.

'You've never given me a reason not to…'

'I promise I won't…'

'Thanks, Lily.'

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

'Lovely dinner!' said Mrs. Potter, finishing her wine. They had had a wonderful Easter dinner, and were all full. James and Sirius rubbed their bellies and sighed. Mr. Potter chuckled at the sight of them.

'What should we do next?' he asked.

'Oh, I know! Let's watch one of those old black and white Muggle films on that Television!' Mrs. Potter said.

'Sounds great! Which one?'

'Casablanca!' she and James exclaimed happily. Sirius rolled his eyes.

'That's a chick film!'

'No, it isn't! It's great! A classic! Let's watch Casablanca!' said James. He left the dining room and went into the lounge where the television was kept. He put the film on and the rest of the family joined him and sat on the amazingly comfortable sofas.

Mr. and Mrs. Potter sat next to each other. He had his arm around her and she was curled up next to him. Sirius sat on a comfy leather chair next to the sofa and that left James with the turquoise chair his mother had purchased in Notting Hill a couple of year before. It wasn't the most comfortable chair in the world, but it was nice.

The movie started and James threw his mum the box of tissues. She chuckled and thanked him.

…

'Such a beautiful story!' Mrs. Potter said. She was wiping her eyes with the tissue James ahd given her before the film started.

'It's great…' Mr. Potter said. 'Hm… it's getting late. We should be going to bed…' he said. The other nodded and said their 'goonights'.

'Goonight, sweetheart… I love you!' Mrs. Potter said, hugging her son, who hugged her back and smiled.

'Love you too, Mum… Good night…'

'Night, night, Sirius, darling…' she hugged him and he chuckled.

'Night, Liz… Have sweet dreams you two!'

Husband and wife laughed and climbed the stairs. The two boys followed and went into their separate bedrooms.

…

It was a cold April morning. The rain was pouring furiously outside and it was very cold. James and Sirius were playing Go-Fish in the lounge, dressed in snuggly pajamas and slippers.

'I won! Yeah!' exclaimed Sirius.

James rolled his eyes.

'That's why I prefer chess! You're rubbish at it…'

Sirius laughed.

'Ha! Loser!'

They kept playing for a few more minutes until they heard a noise upstairs.

'What was that?' asked Sirius.

'I think it was a glass breaking…' James said. 'Let's go check it out…'

The two boys went up the stairs and looked at every room. James' parents room was the last one. The Master Bedroom.

'Mum? Dad?' asked James, pushing the door lightly.

'James…' he heard his father whisper. He sounded very sad.

'What's going on?' James asked, starting to get worried.

Mr. Potter appeared on the threshold. His eyes were watery and he wasn't wearing neither his glasses nor he usual relaxed grin. He was shivering and his face was pale white.

'I'm so sorry, son… She's… She's gone.'

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …


	18. James' Eulogy

**Previously on **_**Crazy Little Thing Called Love**_**: **

_**Mr. Potter appeared on the threshold. His eyes were watery and he wasn't wearing neither his glasses nor he usual relaxed grin. He was shivering and his face was pale white. **_

_** 'I'm so sorry, son… She's… She's gone.'**_

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#18 – James' Eulogy

Remus had been brushing his teeth he heard a light knock on the door. He went to answer it since Peter was still fast asleep, enjoying his last free day before the new term.

It was Professor McGonagall and she had teary eyes.

'Good morning, Mr. Lupin.' She said, not giving any signs that it would actually be a good morning.

'Is everything ok, professor?' he asked nervously. She shook her head.

'I'm afraid to inform you that Elizabeth Potter died early this morning.' She said. Remus' eyes went wide in shock. When the realisation of what had happened hit him, his wide eyes became filled with tears.

'What?'

'I am deeply sorry.' She said. 'Professor Dumbledore thought you and Mr. Pettigrew would like to join Mr. Potter and Mr. Black…'

Remus nodded. 'I'll wake Pete…'

'The password for his office is "lemon pie"… Excuse me.'

She left and Remus leaned on the doorframe. His tears began to fall. He wiped them off and went to wake his friend up.

…

When Remus and Peter arrived at the bottom of the stairs, Emmeline crushed him with a hug.

'Professor McGonagall told us… I am so sorry…' she said. The boys nodded. Remus looked up and saw Lily standing in the corner, looking out the window, crying.

'We're going to the Potters…' he said.

Emmeline nodded and gave them both a peck on the cheek before they left.

They had both been crying since they found out. But Remus did not want to fathom what James was feeling. His mother was everything to him.

'Lemon pie.' He said and the gargoyle moved, showing a staircase. They climbed it and entered Dumbledore's office.

'Hello Mr. Lupin, Mr. Pettigrew.' He said, sounding as sad as Remus felt. 'Here, there's some Floo Powder… You can go first, Remus.' He said, putting a comforting hand on Remus' right shoulder. 'Please give Harold, James and Sirius my deepest condolences.'

The boy nodded and went to the fireplace.

'The Potter Mansion!' he yelled and felt an incredible discomfort followed by the pain of falling into the Potters humongous marble fireplace. He cleaned himself and faced the small watery-eyed house-elf that had been waiting for him and Peter.

'Hello, Master Remus…' she said, souding very sad.

Peter came afterwards and fell as badly as Remus.

'Hi, Master Peter… They are in the kitchen, would you follow me, please?' the small elf took the boys to the kitchen. There they found Sirius sitting leaning against the table, drinking coffee, Mr. Potter talking to some grim-looking man next to the backdoor, and James sitting with his head buried in his arms and a cup of tea next to him.

Sirius saw them first and gave them a small, sad smile.

'Hi.' He said. Remus approached him first and they hugged. It was a brotherly hug, filled with love and understanding. They broke apart and Remus pointed towards James.

'Hasn't said a word since this morning…' Sirius murmured. 'That guy over there is supposed to be organising the funeral… I think Harold's helping him because he knows he'll crash if he stops.'

'Of course…' Remus nodded. 'I'm so sorry.'

'Thanks.'

'I am so sorry, Sirius…' said Peter from behind Remus.

'Thank you, Wormy… Can I offer you guys anything?'

They both shook their heads and the room went silent again.

Then Mr. Potter turned around and saw the two boys.

'Hello Remus and Peter…' he said. 'Thank you for coming.'

'Thank you for having us, sir… We are so deeply sorry for your loss. Professor Dumbledore sends his condolences…'

'I appreciate that Remus… I have some errands to run, but, please, make yourselves comfortable.'

Remus nodded and Mr. Potter left with the other man. He turned and went to James. Sirius and Peter were sitting across from him on the table and had sad looks in their eyes. Remus put his hand on his friend's shoulder.

'Hey, Prongs…' he said in an apologetic voice.

James looked up. His eyes were blooshot and sadder than ever, and he was still crying. His hair was a huge mess. His glasses were crooker and he was shivering.

He just nodded and didn't say anything.

'I'm so sorry, James…'

'Me too… This is horrible..' said Peter.

James looked at him and nodded again. He picked up his mug and took a sip of tea. He then cleared his throat and turned to Sirius.

'Do you, erm, do you know when the funeral is going to be?' he asked.

'In two days…' Sirius replied. James just nodded and went back into Lockdown. 'Harold wants you to write the eulogy…'

James' eyes went wide.

'Why?'

'Because.'

'K…'

'You don't have to, if you don't want to.'

'I'll do it… It's Mum… I'd do anything for her…' he wiped a few tears that were threatening to fall and stood up. 'Excuse me, I'm going to take a nap.' He then left the room.

'Wow. He is miserable.' Said Peter.

'He is… It's killing me.' Said Sirius. 'Because there's nothing I can do! And it sucks! She's dead and it sucks! Last night she was ok! She was healthy and happy and laughing…'

'I know… This whole thing is a mess…' said Remus. 'I'll write to Em and tell her about the funeral.'

'Yeah…' said Sirius. 'Are you inviting Evans?'

'Look, Sirius, I know that you hate her and all, but she does care about James and she was crying before Peter and I came here…'

'It's fine… I don't mind…' he said. 'I was being kind of a jerk anyways… I'll apologise to her…'

'Good.'

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Lily finished dressing up and waited for her friends. She was wearing a black empire-waisted short dress with short sleeves and black flats. She was carrying a black trench coat for the rain, and her purse. Her hair was up in a bun with he fringe falling on top of her eyes. Lily had her locket on and held onto it with her right hand.

'Should I take a handkerchief?' asked Hestia, putting on her earrings. She was wearing a black sheath dress and two inch heels.

'I think you should… It's going to be so sad…' said Mary, picking up her purse. Her dress was a wrap dress and it was black, like the others. She had flats on, just like Lily, but her hair was loose, falling on her shoulders.

The last one out was Emmeline, wearing a grey pencil skirt and a black blouse. She had a trench coat like Lily's. 'We can go now…' the girls left the dorm room and went to Dumbledore's office.

…

Arriving at the funeral, they immediately found Remus, who had been waiting for them. He was wearing a nice black suit that Lily assumed had been borrowed from Sirius. He said hello to all of them and took them to their seats.

Lily saw Sirius next to a tall man that she assumed was Mr. Potter and he saw her. She waved and he nodded, smiling small. She smiled back and sat down with her friends.

When everyone had arrived, the service started. Dumbledore was there. He arrived after the girls, accompanied by most of the Hogwarts faculty. Bathilda Bagshot was there as well as other renowned names in the Wizarding world. Lily was sure she had seen the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, somewhere in the crowd of people that went to pay their respects. Every one was crying and looked genuinely sad that Elizabeth Potter had past away.

Dumbledore stood in front of everyone and gave a small smile, his blue eyes sparkly with tears.

'Hello. I would like to thank you all for coming. Also, I'd like to thank Harold for having me here, introducing the service. Elizabeth was a special woman, she was kind and generous and I remember teaching her at Hogwarts… She was brilliant. Few wizards and witches are naturally intelligent, brilliant and that way, and Elizabeth was wonderful. She understood things that seemed so complicated to everyone else. And she excelled in every single aspect. She had great friends, being such a wonderful person, of course, and left Hogwarts with a great job. She then married a great man and had a great son… James here was her pride and joy and he has prepared an eulogy for this day…'

Lily watched as a very miserable James approached Dumbledore, shook his hand and stood there, alone, with a piece of parchment. He cleared his throat and began.

'Before I begin, I though I'd share with you my Mum's favourite sonnet, by Elizabeth Browning…

_How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.  
>I love thee to the depth and breadth and height<br>My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight  
>For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.<br>I love thee to the level of every day's  
>Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.<br>I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;  
>I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.<br>I love thee with the passion put to use  
>In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.<em>

She loved this, you know? When I was a kid, she used to read me this all the time. Well, not read, because she knew it by heart... Anyway... Hm. Everyone says it's easy. You come and you say what you loved and what you miss about the person you're stading up here for. But it isn't. I tried my best to make a speech that is worthy of my mother, but it is impossible because she was the most amazing woman in the world. And admitting she's gone is just too hard. I can't fathom the idea of living without my Mum. Her laugh, her smile, her funny letters about her flowers and how weird was that blue thing she found in Sirius' bathroom...' everyone chuckled at that. '... You know, I was really sad over the Summer, and she was the one who pulled me back up and sat me straight. She is—was amazing, brilliant, incredible, perfect and it kills me that I didn't say that I loved her as much as I could've, or that I didn't get the chance to say goodbye.

"I know that everyone is going to miss her. Every single one of you... And my Dad, most of all probably, because they were so perfect together. They were the definition of love, understanding and, quite honestly, magic, to me. And it's ok to miss her because she's touched so many lives and I hope that through that, she'll never be forgotten... A friend once told me that this pain, this horrible, excruciating pain, goes away and we're left with the good memories. I sure hope she's right because it hurts too much right now. And I love my Mum so much... I miss her... And I'm terribly sorry that she won't be here for everything that I'm hoping to achieve. But, Mum, wherever you are, I hope that you're happy, and I hope that you'll look down on us and be proud because, if anything, I am... I am proud to have known you and to be your son. I love you, Mum."

When he was done, everyone was sniffing and sobbing. Lily was as well. That was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. As James walked away, head down, to hug his father, she couldn't help but to be proud of how brave he was, how strong and brave he was being.

...

After the service and the burial, everyone gathered at the Potter Mansion for eating, talking and remembering Elizabeth.

Lily saw Mary talking to James and giving him a hug. She smiled and him and left, walking in Lily's direction.

'How is he?' Lily asked.

'A mess. I think you should go and talk to him...' Mary said. Hestia appeared.

'Hey guys... Sirius is so sad, the poor boy..'

'I imagine... Losing the second mother figure of his life must be tough...' said Lily. 'I'll go and talk to James.'

She left her friends and went in his way. He went to the library and she followed him. She walked in after him and closed he door.

'Hey...' she said, giving him a small smile.

'Hi...'

'How are you feeling?'

'Like shit...'

She sat next to him at the leather sofa. Lily held his hand in hers.

'I am so deeply sorry, James... I can't say I know what that feels like, but I can see how miserable you are and I hate it.'

He looked at her. His hazel eyes were so distant and sad, she just wanted to hug him. And so she did. He was in shock at first, but then held her back and let it all go.

'Sssh...' she said, patting his back while he cried. 'It'll be alright... You'll be alright...'

They parted after a few minutes. His tears had dried and she smiled small at her.

'Thank you, Lils...'

'Anytime...'

They sat there in silence for a few minutes. They were still holding hands and James lightly rubbed circles on her hand.

'Your eulogy was breathtakingly beautiful...' she said, looking into his eyes.

'Thanks... It was really hard writing that. I never thought I'd have to...' he said. 'My Dad wanted to write one himself, but he said he doesn't have a way with the words and that he'd probably start crying and not be able to finish.'

Lily nodded.

'When are you coming back to school?' she asked.

He shrugged.

'On Friday... Then I'll still have a week to practice for Quidditch.' He said.

'You're still playing the Finals?' she asked in shock. He looked down and smiled sweetly.

'Mum would be so proud if I won my first Cup as Captain... I've disappointed her a lot in the past few years and I just wanted to make it up for it...'

'Oh, James...' Lily said, holding his face in her hands. 'You could never disappoint her. I saw the way she looked at you. You were everything to her. She loved you so very much! You could never disappoint her...' she said, then she gave him a kiss on the cheek and smiled sweetly.

'Again, thank you...' he said, sighing. 'It really hurts...'

'The pain will pass...'

'I know...'

'After you finish mourning, you can start celebrating her life instead of grieving her death... You have become someone she would be incredibly proud of.' Lily said.

'Can I, though?'

She chuckled.

'Definitely. James, you'll do great things after you leave school. Your Mum will be so proud.'

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Sirius saw Lily leave the library and James followed her, looking a bit better than before. He sighed and hid his pride and went to talk to her.

'Hey.' He said simply.

'Hi, Sirius, how are you?'

'Been better...' he said. 'How are you?'

'Not so great, thanks for asking...'

Sirius was getting mad. If she wasn't going to talk, then he... _Suck it up, stop being a jerk and go apologise to her!_ Sirius' conscious told him. Curiously, hsi conscious sounded a lot like Remus. He shrugged that thought and continued.

'Look, Evans... I'm sorry about what I said the other day... It wasn't nice and it wasn't true...'

She looked shocked. Of course, no one ever expects Sirius Black to be a nice person. Ever. That kind of bothered him.

'Seriously?' she asked. He nodded. 'Wow... Hm, I'm sorry too... What I said about you, it's not true. You are a nice guy, Sirius, you just don't show it a lot...' 'Thanks... I think... Anyway, I just want you to know that I saw what you did for James right there and he does look better, so I just... I don't think you'd be so bad to him after all.'

She chuckled and gave him a hug.

'That's good... ' she said. 'Because being here today just made me realise how much I actually like him...'

He felt his eyes go wide.

'Really?'

She nodded again.

'So you'd say yes if he asked you on a date?'

'Definitely.'

'Ok... Ok... I can help you with that.' He said, smirking. 'I have to go now... Thank you for everything... Lily.'

She smiled widely.

'Anytime, Sirius.'

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

_**N/A: Hey... This is it for 18th... I know I never do the whole "two-chapters-in-one-day" thing, but I though that this would be appropriate. Besides, this story really deserves two chapters, so I couldn't just put it all together!... Oh well... So sad for James' mum, right? But at least we left drama station now and can go back to happy! Well, not super happy, but at least happy-er! Right? Anyway, thank you for all the reviews and, please review some more! I love reviews! Again, I must thank you all for the support and I'll see you on the 19th!**_


	19. The Quidditch Final

_**N/A: Hello, guys! You've missed my notes, right? He-he, knew it! Well, this is chapter 19! Are you excited? I am! Oh, I haven't got this far with a fanfiction in so long! It's cool! Bowties are cool! But that is a completely different fandom... Nevermind that! Anyway, this is technically a Quidditch chapter, but, as you must know, I am utterly rubbish at writing Quidditch matches, so we'll see how it goes, alright? On you go!**_

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#18 – The Quidditch Final

The sun was shining on that beautiful Saturday. The students of Hogwarts were all very talkative over breakfast. The Ravenclaws had their supporting T-shirts on and foam gloves and magical ravens, while the Gryffindors were all dressed in bright red and shiny gold and were ready to kick arses. There was a loud chatter in the Great Hall that morning. The only subject was the early Quidditch Final match... It was Gryffindor against Ravenclaw and both teams were rather nervous.

'We can do this!' said James, staring at his bagel. 'I know we can do this. We have the best team, the best tactics and thsi weather is great for us!'

'Are actually talking to the bagel?' asked Remus. 'Because it didn't really ask anything...'

James glared at him. 'Do not mock me today. If I don't win this, you'll regret it...'

Remus gulped and went back to his cereal.

'Relax, man... We've got this! It's just Ravenclaw!' said Sirius.

'They have Chang! He's small and fast! He's like a bloody ninja! But with a broom! He can do that grasshopper-mosquito-catching thing! But with a Snitch!'

Lily looked at him.

'Seriously? Are you that racist?' she asked, smiling.

'I didn't know you were Scottish!' said Mary, laughing.

'I'm not racist! I didn't mean—Oh sorry...'

Lily patted him on the back. 'We were just joking, James...'

She then cleared her throat. 'And you have to win today because Sergio will be there!'

She lifted the small cat who meowed and purred loudly. All the girls around them made 'awn' sounds, while Sirius, Remus and Peter flinched at the sight of the feline.

'Yey! I love Sergio!' he picked he cat up and held it close to his face. 'You are really cute, furball!'

Sergio licked the tip of his nose and James thought he was going to explode of cuteness overdose.

'Now give him back...' said Lily. 'The two of you have to focus! I heard the Ravenclaw team is really good.

'They are... Their past few games were flawless... However, I worked that out for my personal advantage... Needless to say, we are more than ready... Plus, Grayson is smaller and faster than Chang...' said James, stuffing his chest and smiling widely.

'Good. Now you go to that Pitch, climb on that Nimbus 1000 of yours and kick some Ravenclaw arse!' said Lily forcefully, making everyone around the table, even her cat, stare at her weirdly. 'What?'

'Since when are you so radical about Quidditch?' asked Emmeline. They heard Hestia giggling behind her hands.

'Oh, Lils...' she mumbled. The group moved their stares to Hestia. 'Hm, sorry. No, yeah, go on...'

'Hey, James!' said Gwenog, approaching their table. James looked at her and smiled.

'Yeah?'

'I need to talk to you, can we go to the Pitch now?'

'Hm, yeah, definitely... I'm done with breakfast anyways.' He stood up. 'Sirius, lockers, twenty.' He said and left with Gwenog.

'What's up with those two? All the secrecy and bla bla...' said Lily, sounding a bit angry.

'Don't be jealous, Lily, he only has eyes for you...' said Sirius, biting on his scone. 'Harrison thinks he knows what it is, but we don't want to jinx it by asking her...'

'What do you think?' asked Hestia. 'She's my bloody cousin, I deserve to know!'

'Fine... But don't tell anybody!' they all agreed. 'Ok... So, Harrison thinks that James is helping her get into the Harpies.'

Remus and Peter gasped. 'You're kidding!'

Sirius shook his head. 'Nope. And it'll be awesome if she does, right? Because it's like, hey, we had a Harpy in our team last year!'

'Harpies as in Hollyhead Harpies?' asked Mary. 'Wow, that's pretty amazing!'

'I know! But you can't tell her because we are no even sure that's what it is, and James won't tell us, since they're both very superticious...'

'Ok...' said Remus. Everyone around nodded and Sirius sighed.

'I'm going to go grab my broom. See you guys after the game.'

'Good luck!'

'Thanks...'

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Lily, Mary, Hestia, Emmeline, Remus and Peter were sitting on the stands, waiting for the match to begin. They were all very nervous, since the really wanted their team to win.

They saw Madame Hooch fly about and land. Ravenclaw then did the same, showing off their players and their abilities, and landed next to her. The Gryffindor team followed, James leading them, flying beautifully and landing across from their rivals.

James and Chang shook hands and glared at each other. They heard a whistle and the quaffle was thrown in the air.

Gwenog caught it and bean flying in the direction of the rings. She passed the Quaffle to Marlene, who passed it to James, who threw again at Gwenog and she scored. 10-0 Gryffindor.

Sirius beat a Bludger in the direction of the Ravenclaw Seeker, Young Chang. The seventh-year boy almost fell out of his broom, but kept his balance. He then glared at Sirius, who smirked and flew away. Grayson was flyign in circles, trying to find the Snitch.

Marlene scored and it was now 20-0. Then, one of the Ravenclaw Chasers, Colene Hitch, scored past Prewett.

After almost an hour of that, flying and scoring and more flying, Gryffindor was actually winning. It was 160-20. Prewett had been so angry at those twenty points, that he wouldn't even let a Ravenclaw ten feet from his rings. He glared at them, got the quaffle and threw it back to his team.

James was looking around and saw Chang move rapidly upwards. Grayson saw it too and looked at his Captain, who motioned for him to go, since Chang wasn't know for his bluffs.

The Ravenclaw Seeker-Captain was too close to the Snitch for Grayson to be able to catch up. James had to do something. He looked at his Chasers and nodded. The girls nodded as well and they went into formation.

However, before he could avoid it, an angry Bludger hit his left arm and he screamed in pain. It was definitely broken. But he couldn't stop just yet. They needed two point.s.

'James, are you ok?' he heard Gwenog scream to him. He nodded and gave a weak smile.

'FORMATION!' he yelled back. The girls looked at each other and went again. Marlene stole the quaffle from Ravenclaw and the three flew in the direction of the rings. She hesitantly threw the ball to James, who caught it valiantly given his condition, and scored. Th crowd cheered and the looked to see if he could find either Grayson or Chang. He snapped out of it and they went into a different formation.

James had the quaffle now and was flying in the direction of the rings again. He looked up and saw Chang raise his arm.

'Motherfucker!' he muttered. James knew he'd never be able to score again with his arm hurting like hell. He threw the quaffle to Gwenog, who flew incredibly fast and passed every Ravenclaw played in her way. She dodged away from the two Bludgers that tried to hit her and scored, two seconds before Madame Hooch's whistle that informed them that someone had caught the Snitch. It was Chang.

'Chang got the Snitch, but Gryffindor wins by ten points!' scremed the announcer. The whole Gryffindor stand cheered excitedly. 'Congratulations, Gryffindor, you win the Quidditch Cup!'

James stood there, in shock. They won. They made it. He made it! His first Cup as Captain. His arm wasn't even in pain anymore, he was so excited. He won! His team won!

'WE WON!' he heard Sirius yell. James chuckled and landed.

'Well done, Potter.' Said Professor McGonagall approaching him, much like the whole Gryffindor and half the Hufflepuff houses.

'Thank you, Professor.'

Dumbledore appeared as the whole team gathered, and handed the Cup to James, who picked it up with his good arm and lifted it.

'YEAAAH!' he yelled. Everyone cheered and he handed the cup to McGonagall. 'It's yours now...'

'Thank you, thank you... Your mother would've been very proud.'

He smiled. 'I know... Thanks.'

'Mr. Potter, you're coming with me now!' bellowed Madame Pomfrey, reaching him.

'Why?'

'Your arm is broken. You can party all you want when it's healed. Followe me.'

'But—'

'No but! Come!'

He followed her and shook hands and thanked people that cam to speak to him on the way.

...

'You're lucky you get to keep the arm, Potter.' She said.

'Come on, Poppy... Aren't you happy we won?' he asked, with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes and he smirked.

'Drink this.' She said.

He drank it and coughed afterwards.

'That is disgusting!'

'You've never tasted the one that grows bones, have you?'

'Luckily, I haven't...'

She chuckled. 'Then don't complain, boy.'

It was his turn to roll his eyes as he finished gulping the rest of his medicine and felt his arm go back to normal.

'Can I go now?' he asked.

'Yes, Potter. Go ahead. Enjoy your party...' she said as the went out the doork. 'And Potter?'

'Yes?'

'Congratulations...'

He smiled. 'Thank you.'

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Lily was impatient. She couldn't wait for James to arrive from the Hospital Wing so she could see it he was alright and then hug the hell out of him for winning the Cup.

She then saw the portrait open in the midst of the party and everyone looked at it. The whole House began the clap loudly and yell "That's the boss!" and "Long live the Captain" and lots of other things she couldnt'really make up.

He smiled widely and threw his left fist into the air, showing that his arm was good. They all cheered once more and he began to thank everyone.

Lily made her way towards him and he smiled upon seeing her.

'You won!' she said, giving him a bone-crushing hug.

'Thanks... You're killing me!'

'Sorry...'

'I won!' he jumped up and down, smiling happily.

'She'd be so proud!' Lily said, smiling sweetly at him.

'I know... I think she would...Thank you, Lily.'

'No problem, Captain.' She said. 'That seemed like a tough game!'

'It was! Oh, man... I really want to forget about it...' he chuckled.

'Then let's party!'

'Alright!'

'THERE AIN'T NO PARTY LIKE A GRYFFINDOR PARTY!' Sirius was yelling, while dancing goofily with Prewett and Harrison. Remus stood next to them, looking very uncomfortable. Emmeline was laughing. Mary and Hestia talked animatedly with Marlene and Gwenog.

'Lily! Music!' yelled Hestia. Lily nodded and looked at James.

'Music!' she immitaded her friend. He laughed.

'Ok, sir!' he said, taking out his wand and montioning it. Out of nowhere, really jumpy happy music started to play. Everyone started to dance and the party had started.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

The excitement of Quidditch passed and was replaced by nervousness for the upcoming final exams. The seventh years coulnd't stop studying for their N.E. and the fifth-year couldn't sleep thinking about their O.. All the other students had their very hard exams coming up as well, and were also studying non-stop.

When they were over, in the beginning of June, it was an extreme relief. And with the amazing weather and sunlight outside, all of the now-free students lay there, under trees, around the lake, talking and reading and sleeping.

'It's finally over! Oh, Merlin!' said Mary, laying down next to Hestia, who was trying to get a tan.

'I know, right?' she said, pushing her sunglasses up her nose. 'Such difficult exams!'

Lily was reading a book under the tree and she looked up.

'They weren't that difficult...' she said, smiling.

'That's cause you're a bloody nerd genius!' said Emmeline, whos was sitting next to her, catching up with her beauty magazines. 'I've missed so many fashion tips last month!'

Lily rolled her eyes. She then saw the boys approaching them. Sirius had sunglasses on, lika Hestia, and smirked. Remus was trying to out as much sun block as he coule, Peter had a huge pile of sweets in his arms and James was just walking alonside them, not really paying attention to the conversation they were having, reading a book.

'Hello, ladies!' Sirius said, when they reached the girls.

'Hi, Sirius! Wanna sunbathe?' asked Hestia, not looking at the boys.

'Sure...' Sirius laid next to her and just stayed there, sunbathing.

'I hate this bloody sun...' muttered Remus, finding the biggest shadow he could and hiding under it.

'Poor baby Remus...' said Emmeline, mocking him. He stuck his tongue out and they laughed.

Peter and James sat next to him and Peter was still eating.

'Merlin, Peter, will you ever stop eating?' Lily asked.

'Nope.' Said James, looking away from his book and staring at Peter with a smirk. 'Instead of a stomach, Peter has a black hole, eh?' Peter chuckled.

'I love eating!' he said, smiling big.

'What are you reading, James?' asked Emmeline. 'Lily's been readin The Great Gatsby for the hundreth time...'

'It's my favourite book!' Lily pouted.

'It is really good...' said James, smiling at her. 'Ever since our reading assignments in Muggle Studies, I've been really excited about Ray Bradburry's books, so now I'm reading _Something Wicked This Way Comes_.' He said, showing the cover of the book.

'I love that one!' said Lily. 'It's really good!'

'Yeah, it is, right?'

'Oh, Merlin... Never thought James was a big nerd as well...' said Hestia from the sunbathing bubble she and Sirius were in.

'Oh, he is...' said Sirius snorted. 'All about these obscure Muggle books... I don't get what's so great about them... We have perfectly good books in the Wizarding world.'

'How you know?' asked James. 'You've never read any of them!'

The whole group started laughing. Sirius pouted. 'I've read books!'

'That weren't for school?' asked Remus with a smirk.

'NOT THE POINT!' they laughed even harder. Peter was even wiping tears from his eyes. 'Can we please change the subject?'

'Ok! Summer holidays! What are you guys doing?' asked Mary.

'Staying as far away from Petunia and her _fiancé _as possible...' said Lily, spitting the word "fiancé".

'I'll be in the south of France, my friends... Sunbathing and talking to cute French boys...' said Hestia.

'Mum and I are visiting my nana in Wales.' Said Peter. 'She lives in Swansea...'

'Poor you, man...' said James. 'Swansea is so boring!'

'What are we doing, Prongs?'

James shrugged.

'Dad is going on a fishing trip to celebrate his retirement with some friends... And to get his mind off things...' he said. 'I don't know what we can do, though...'

'Whatever it is, I'm in...' said Remus. 'My parents are taking a trip to Spain and Merlin knows I don't want to go with them...'

They laughed again. 'Too much sun, Moony?' asked Sirius.

'Waaay too much... And Spanish chocolate sucks!'

'Oh, Moony... You and your chocolates...'

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

'Well... I guess this is it... In September we'll begin our last year in Hogwarts...' said Lily sadly, while the train stopped at Platform 9 ¾. Emmeline, Hestia and Mary nodded and got up to get their trunks.

'Hey!' James said, appearing in the door of their compartment. 'Ready to leave?'

'You sound a bit sad...' said Lily, looking at him.

He shrugged.

'It'll be weird being home without Mum, that's all.'

The girls nodded. Hestia clapped her hands together.

'Well! Let's go!' she said. They all chuckled, got their trunks and lefts. They met Sirius, Peter and Remus at the exit of the train. Peter said a quick goodbye and left to meet his mum. Remus and Emmeline also said their goodbyes and left together.

'Bye, guys! Have a nice summer! I know I will...' said Hestia, smirking and hugging her friends.

'I should go, too... Call me, ok, Lils? We should have a sleepover with movie night!' she said.

'Definitely! Bye, Mary!'

Mary left and Lily was alone with James and Sirius.

'Is your Dad picking you up?' she asked.

'No... He's got a meeting with the Minister.' James shrugged. 'We're apparating home...'

'Heck yeah!' Sirius said, smiling widely. 'Gotta love being seventeen, right?'

Lily and James chuckled.

'We can take you to your parents... If you want...'suggested James. Lily smiled.

'Sure! Yeah! Mum and Dad will be thrilled to meet the boy who's made my life hell for five years and suddenlt became one of rmy best friends in one!' she smirked. 'Let's go! They're over there.'

A ginger couple was standing next to the Platform sigh. They were talking excitedly and their smiled grew wider when they saw their little girl.

'Lily-petal!' said her Dad. He was lanky and had a ginger beard. He also wore very large glasses.

'Hi, Daddy!'Lily said, giving him a bear hug. 'Hi, Mum!' she hugged her Mum as well.

'Who are these?' asked her mother, looking at Sirius and James.

'Mum, Dad, these are my friends Sirius Black and James Potter...' she said.

'_The_ James Potter?' her mother asked with a smirk. 'You've mentioned he was annoying, but never thar he was so good-looking!'

'Okay! Mum! Stop. Now. Oh... God... Let's go! You've got too much sun light! Bye, James... Bye, Sirius... Oh, God, Mum!' Lily gave the smirking boys an embarrassed smile and pushed her parents away. She gave Sergio to her Mum to carry and she made a high-pitched 'awn' sound much like James' in the library.

'He gave you this! Oh, Lily!'

'Mum, shut up, ok?'

Her parents laughed and her father looked back.

'They seemed nice.' He said.

'And very handsome! Oh, Lily... You should date the Potter boy...'

'Working on that, Ma... Let's just go home, ok? You've embarrassed me enough today.'

Her parents laughed as they made their way out of King's Cross to get their car.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

_**N/A: Yey! Well, this was a fun chapter, right? Hopefully I was able to change the mood a bit, he-he... Anyway, next up is the Summer fun! Oh yeaaah! Keep reading! And please review! Thank you!**_

_**Marauder-on!**_


	20. Our Last Summer

_**N/A: Hey-oh, Limers! How are you in this fine day? Hopefully well, since this is a brand new chapter! It is supposed to make you happy... I'm guessing this will be a long one, but who knows? (By the way, I do write these things before the actual chapter, you see? That's why they seem so odd...) Well, move along, then, because summer's here! **_

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#20 – Our Last Summer...

Lily was changing into her day clothes when she heard an owl tapping on her window. It was the same Spectacled Owl that delivered her Hogwarts letter every year. Sergio was pressing his little nose agaisnt the window, trying to get the owl and Lily smiled, but on the inside she was utterly nervous about the contents of the letter.

She had wanted to be Head Girl since her first year. She worked her butt off for six years – two as a prefect – to get it and if she didn't, Lily didn't know what she'd do. She couldn't go on as prefect knowing that someone else who was probably less qualified was Head Girl instead of her.

'I'm being crazy, right, Sergio?' she asked. The cat stared at her with a vacant expression. 'Course I am... I'm talking to a bloody cat!'

She opened her window and let the bird in. Lily picked up her letter and the big black owl flew away. She sighed and opened it.

A shiny golden badge fell from the letter and Lily squealed with happiness.

'FUCK YEAH!' she yelled, than covered her mouth with her free hand.

'Lily!' her mother said, sternly, walking into her bedroom. 'You know I don't approve of cussing!'

'Sorry, Mum! Oh, Merlin... So sorry! But, yeah! I'm Head Girl!'

Her mother's eyes went wide and she did a little skipping.

'My baby girl is now Head? Oh, dear! I'm so proud, Lils!'

They hugged and skipped together in excitement. Lily's father showed up in the threshold looking confused.

'What happened?'

'Lily here is Head Girl, Charles!'

'Oh, my! This is something! Oh, ny little princess is Head Girl! I am very proud, cupcake!'

'Thank you, Dad...' she said, hugging her father. 'I must write to the girls right now! But I'll call Mary first.. Excuse me...'Lily said, leaving her bedroom, still skipping and still squealing now and again.

Her father shook her head. 'This girl is going places...' he said.

'Oh, Charles... Our little girl is growing up!' Mrs. Evans said, wiping a tear.

'I know... I hate it.' Both chuckled and followed their daughter downstairs.

...

The sun was bright as Lily went to see Mary in a cafe in SoHo, London. She had wanted to visit her friend in a very long time – ever since the beginning of Summer, actually, when Petunia couldn't stay a day without bringing her obnoxious fiancé home for lunch, tea and dinner – and this seemed like a fitting oportunity.

'Hey, Lils!' Mary said, approaching her. Lily was sitting with a book and a latte. She looked up and smiled widely.

'Hey! I missed you, Mary!' they hugged and Mary sat next to Lily.

'So, what's new? Why this sudden planning?'

'Well... We got our Hogwarts letters today...' Lily sang.

'I know, I—Wait! You didn't!'

'Yes!'

'Oh my God, Lily, this is amazing! You're Head Girl?'

'You bet!'

They laughed and hugged again.

'I'm so proud of you!' Mary squealed. 'We should all go out and celebrate!'

'Yes! I was thinking about that!'Lily said excitedly. 'How about a girls night in? You know, sleepover, ice cream, movies and lots of talking!'

'Awesome idea! And I'm guessing you already talked to the other two?' Lily nodded. 'And it's going to be at my place?' Lily nodded again. Mary chuckled. 'Great! When are they coming?'

'I suggested tonight... Since, you know, it's been a month and all that... And if I spend one more day with Petunia and Vermin around the house, I'll probably shoot them and then shoot myself...'

'Wow, are they that annoying?'

'More than that, actually... Plus, they keep planning the wedding! All the bloody time! And guess when it's going to be?'

'Christmas?'

'Nope. Worse. First of September!'

'You're kidding!'

'No! She actually scheduled her wedding on that day so that I wouldn't be there! She said, and I quote, that she doesn't want any kind of "freak-business" at her "precious wedding", which is going to be the "happiest day of her life" and the "most wonderful thing that even happened to all the guests"! Can you believe that?'

'Oh, the nerve... And your parents?'

'They are really mad! It was quite funny seeing Dad yell at her and tell her that it was immoral to not let her baby sister be in her wedding. But I really don't mind not being there... It's going to be such a fake thing...'

'True... Well, shall we go to the Diagon Alley?'

'Yeppers!'

'You're hanging around Potter waaay too much...'

Lily stuck her tongue out and the two of them made their way to the Diagon Alley.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

James Potter, Harold Potter and Sirius Black were staring at the little golden badge sitting on the coffee table. They all had stunned lookk, but James had a hint of a smirk.

'Holy smokes...' muttered Mr. Potter after about ten minutes of silence. 'Holy smokes.'

'I know! It's not... It's just—' Sirius couldn't even finish his sentence. 'I mean... Has Dumbledore gone mad!'

'Probably...'

'Dad!'

'I'm sorry, son... It's just that I've never really picture you as the "Head Boy" type...' Mr. Potter said with a smirk. James rolled his eyes.

'I can't believe I am Head Boy! This is awesome!'

'And why is that? I mean, you're gonna have all those responsibilities! And forget pranking!' said Sirius, gesturing furiously with his arms wearing a huge frown on his face.

'Yeah, I suppose that will be a bummer... However, I will get to spend a lot of time with Lily, since she's definitely getting Head Girl... Plus! As the letter stated, we have our own dorm!'

Mr. Potter and Sirius' eyes went wide.

'You're kidding!'

'No way!'

'Yeah! Just read it!' he handed the letter to his father, who read it with a grin.

'Maybe you'll finally get Lily, eh?'

'Oh, come on! You just have to ask her out and she'll say yes!' said Sirius.

James snorted.

'Yeah, right...'

'Son, you have to at least try one more time. Life's too short not to be with the ones you love... If you truly love her, you cannot stop trying...'

'He's right, Prongs... You two have grown a lot closer last year... I mean, you're friends and all that, she'll definitely say yes now that she saw you're not an arrogant toerag...'

James looked at them, then he looked at his brand new badge sitting on the coffee table.

'I guess you're right...' he whispered. 'Still can't believe I'm Head Boy, though...' he chuckled.

...

James was sitting alone at the library, reading. Sirius was out with some girl he met at a coffee house and his father went to the Ministry to talk to Moody, so there he was. He sat in a very comfortable leather chair, wore sweats and mismatched socks and read one of the books for the next school year.

He heard a knock on the door and looked up.

'Hey, Dad...' he said. 'How was it with Moody?'

His father sat on another chair next to him and sighed.

'Alright... But this whole situation with Voldemort is just a mess.' He said.

'I hate that guy...' James rolled his eyes and put his book away.

'We all do, son... Anyway, How are you holding up?'

James shrugged.

'I dunno... Same old, I think...'

'Well, I just wanted you to know that I am very proud of you, alright?' he smiled.

'Thanks, Dad...'

His father smiled again.

'Your mother would be very proud as well... She was Head Girl when we were in Hogwarts...'

'I know... She told me, like, two hundred times...' they both chuckled.

'Well, I'll let you get on with that...' he got up and went to the door.

'Hey, Dad?'

'Yes?'

'I love you...'

Mr. Potter smiled fondly.

'Love you too, son...'

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Lily and Mary were finishing setting everything up for the sleepover, aka Girls Night In. They had popcorn, crisps, fizzy drinks and all kinds of pillows and comfy throws. They also had movies and music.

The doorbell rang and Mary went to answer it. She returned followed by Emmeline and a very tanned Hestia.

'Holy cow, Hestia! Did you spend your summer in the sun?' asked Lily when she saw her friend.

'I know! It looks great, huh?'

'Sure, sweetie...' said Emmeline sarcastically.

'Oh, you all suck!' Hestia pouted. 'Let's start this party, shall we?'

The girls changed into their pajamas – Lily in green tartan boxers and a light green tank top; Mary in silk pajama pants and a blue tank top; Hestia in pink mini shorts and a small Quidditch T-shirt; and Emmeline in a long yellow shirt with bears in it – and started to get into their girl-talk.

Hestia went on and on about all the amazing-looking guys she saw in France. How tall and tanned and handsome they were. She didn't "hook up" with any of them, but they were good to look at. "Eye candy", as she called them.

'It must've been fun...' said Mary. 'I basically did homework the entire summer... I got out a few times, visited some cousins and stuff, but nothing too exciting.'

'At least you didn't have to dodge your park... I can never go there anymore because of Snape.' Said Lily. 'When I first wen there in the beginning of the summer, he was there, just looking at me. I just—Oh, I really do not care for him anymore... After what he called me? And what he did to James? No way...'

'You're right... He's a tremendous git...' said Emmeline, nodding.

'What about your summer? Did you and Remus did anything _fun_?' asked Hestia, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

'Actually, I kinda needed to talk to you about that...' Emmeline started. 'Remus and I decided to break up.'

The three girls gasped. Lily's eyes went wide, Mary covered her mouth with her hands and Hestia stared at her.

'What? But you guys were so cute!' the latter said.

'In the end, we were more friends than boyfriend and girlfriend... It was mutual, he didn't dump me and I didn't dump him... We just figure we're better off just as friends...'

'But what about-?

'We talked about it, Mary... It won't be awkward. I swear! We can still hang out with the guys, no problem...' she said. 'Besides, I'm pretty sure we'll have a new couple next year...' she said with a grin, looking at Lily, who blushed.

'I don't think that's gonna happen...' she said. Sergio, who had come with her, like everywhere she went, came running towards them and sat in the middle of their little circle, liccking his paws and purring. Lily stroked his unruly tuff of black hair. 'If he doesn't ask me out...'

'He will... Believe me...' said Emmeline. 'Remus told me he and Sirius were trying to convince him to ask you again. He'd given up, but he still likes you very much...'

'You think?'

'Seriously? Sweetie, have you seen your necklace? How many guys give golden jewellry to random girls?'

'We're friends!'

'We are friends as well, yet I only got chocolates from him!' said Mary, smirking. 'Lily, you are special... He loves you... And this is going to be the year!'

'Shouldn't we be helping our dear friend through her break-up?' Lily suggested, pointing at Emmeline, who chuckled.

'Oh, but you and James are a much more interesint subject!'

Lily rolled her eyes.

'You guys are insufferable!'

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Lily was back at her house for the last few weeks of the summer. She was in her bedroom, finishing the last essay she had to do, when a beautiful white-and-grey owl landed on her window sill. She looked at it weirdly before letting it in. The owl flew inside then landed on top of Lily's essay.

'Hey, little guy...' she said sweetly. Sergio hisshed at the bird. 'Leave her alone, Serg...'

Lily picked up the letter and the big bird flew away. She looked at the beige parchment questioningly. She would've recognised Hestia's or Emmeline's owls and Mary would've called her on the phone. Whose could this be? There was only a scribble that said "Lily Evans" on the back of the envelope. Lily shrugged and opened it.

"_Dear Lily,_

_How's your summer going? Mine is SO BORING! But that is no why I'm writing you, actually... I didn't even know if Aramis would be able to find your house... Oh, what if it didn't and I;m writing to no one? Oh, Merlin!_

_Hm, I suppose I'm being a little paranoid here, so I'll just write as if you actually received the letter, ok? _

_Right! So, reason number one: you're my friend and I miss hanging out with you – is that so bad? – and talking to you, so I guess I just wanted to... I don't know... Send you a letter to show I'm still alive... Oh, Merlin, I'm so lame! Forgive me for that!_

_Reason number two: I don't know if you've been informed, but guess who made Head Boy? That's right! Yours truly! Dad thinks Dumbledore's gone mad for picking me, but I find it quit fitting, and pretty awesome as well, given that we get our own dorm and stuff. Oh, Lils! We're gonna share a dorm! Don't worry, I won't creep out or anything like that (*wink*), but it will be fun! I promise to help you take care of Segio... _

_Which brings us to reason number three! How is Sergio? I miss him! He's so cute and adorable! I want to stroke his little head! Ok, being a man now... Did you parents like him? Your Mum seemed nice, and not just because she thought Sirius and I were handsome... I hope I get to meet her at the station on the 1st of September... _

_Anyway, that's about it, I suppose... You don't need to reply, you know? I was just wondering how you were doing and all that... I've been rather busy during the summer otherwise I'd have written sooner, he-he..._

_Well, I'll see you in a few weeks!_

_Sincerely – ignore the sappiness,_

_ James_"

Lily smiled at her letter. Firstly she was shocked to know that he was going to be Heads with her, but now it actually seemed great. A great way to spend time with James without having to be obvious about her feelings. Besides, if they lived together, maybe he'd get up the courage to ask her out again.

'That's so great, Sergio! You and I are living with James in the Heads dorm!' Lily squealed, picking up her cat. 'I should reply that...' she picked up a piece of parchment and a pen and started to reply the letter that she'd send in the morning.

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'James!' his father called from the lounge. James was in the kitchen eating a sandwich and went to see what his father wanted.

'Yeah?'

'You've got mail.' Mr. Potter said, giving him the letter a brown owl had just delivered and going back to his newspaper. Sirius was watching a television program ("how do they put those little people inside that box?" he'd always ask, fascinated), and he looked up.

'Remus?' he asked. James shook his head with a huge smile.

'Lily!'

'You wrote to her?' James nodded. 'Why?'

'Dunno, felt like it... i was polishing my broom last night and the idea just came into my mind.'

'Polishing your broom, eh?' Sirius said with a smirk.

'NO! EW! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU! Merlin! Are you insane?'

'What? You're telling me you've never "polished your broom"?' he barked a laugh.

'That is the worst innuendo in History. You should be ashamed of yourselves...' said Mr. Potter, chuckling.

'I'm going upstairs.' James said with an eye-roll.

'DON'T FORGET THE WOOD POLISH FOR SMOOTHNESS!' Sirius yelled from the lounge.

'SHUT IT!' he head his best mate and his father laughing hysterically and sighed angrily.

...

Upon arriving in his bedroom, he sat down and opened the letter.

"_Dear James,_

_Oh, you have no idea how great it is to hear (read?) from you! It is so boring in here! My sister is planning her stupid wedding – which will be held on the 1st just so I won't be able to attend – and it's making me insane! I hate her fiancé, he looks like a walrus! But besides that, I'm fine... _

_Did you hear about Em and Remus, though? So sad... I truly hope it isn't awkward now... I still want to be able to hang out with you guys... Especially now that you're Head Boy!_

_It's great news! You so deserve it! You've been really good last year, your marks are amazing, plus you won the Quidditch Cup! And I heard Gwenog got into the Harpies! It's amazing! Congratulations, roomie! Ha-ha! It'll be awesome... And now that you promised, you're cleaning the litter box! (*stick tongue out*) _

_I definitely think you should meet my Mum at the station... She keeps talking about my "cute friends" and how it is that I've "hidden them from her all this time"... Can you believe her? Oh, my..._

_Sergio is fine, by the way, and he's a lot bigger than he was when we left school. But still cute as always and with that unbelievable hair! You know, if I didn't know you were a stag, I'd think you were a cat! _

_Well, I hope everything's good with Sirius and your Dad... Keep me posted, alright?_

_Can't wait til school starts – and I am_ not_ a nerd! _

_Hugs and kisses,_

_Lily_"

James sighed after reading the letter and then smiled.

'Merlin, I love her...' he muttered. 'And I'll ask her out in style!'

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_**N/A: Another chapter done! Oh, this took me a very long time... My fingers are tired T.T **_

_**Anyway, hope you liked it! Keep reading and reviewing, all right? Thanks! **_

_**Marauder-on!**_


	21. The Perks of Being Head

_**N/A: Wazzuuuup, Limers? Are you ready for some twentieth first magnificence? Alright! Let's get on with this, shall we? **_

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#21 – The Perks of Being Head

The sun was bright in the sky and the King's Cross station in London was as busy as ever. People coming in and out, into the tube or heading towards St. Pancras'. Muggles trying to cathc their next trains on time and Wizards fighting their way through the crowd to get to the gap between Platforms 9 and 10 in order to catch their own train.

Lily Evans was one of the latter, with her trunk, her backpack and her little black cat in a cage, she and her parents made their way to Platform 9 ¾.

'I can't believe this is your last year!' her Mum said, wiping a small tear off her eye.

'Oh, Mum...' Lily chuckled.

'We'll miss you at home, kiddo.' Said her Dad, kissing her forehead.

'I'll miss you guys too, Daddy... But at least we'll have Christmas, right?'

Her mother nodded, smiling widely.

'Maybe you'll bring a boyfriend home this year? Perhaps a certain boy with unruly hair and glasses?' her mother suggested with a smirk. Lily blushed and hissed.

'Mum!'

'Speaking of which...'muttered her father with a frown. He never really warmed up to the idea of Lily dating people, so every male was a potention threat. Even if they were lanky and nerdy, wearing a blue-and-grey sweater on top of a purple polo shirt and beige slacks, and his famous black Converse. He smiled as he saw the ginger family, whispered something to his father, who nodded and amiled back, and went to their direction.

'Hello, Head Girl!' he said, giving the family a wamr and cheerful smile. Lily's mother seemed to melt under his adorableness. Her father wasn't fooled.

'How do you do?' he raised his hand, which James took and they shook. 'I am Charles Evans, you may call me Mr. Evans.'

James seemed to shiver under the man's stare. Then Mrs. Evans cut between them and batted her eyelashes at the boy.

'Hello, darling. I'm Claire Evans.' She said, smiling widely at him. Lily rolled her eyes.

'Nice to meet you both. Mr. Evans. Mrs. Evans. Wow, now I see where Lily got her good-looks from.' James said to Lily's mother, who giggled. Lily rolled her eyes again, along with her father.

'We should be on our way, Claire...' Mr. Evans said, looking at his watch. He leade in and gave his daughter and hug. 'Bye, cupcake. We'll see you on Christmas.'

'Bye, Daddy. Give my love to the happy couple.'

'Oh, darling, I am so deeply sorry—'

'It's alright, Mum...' she said, smiling. 'Bye, I'll miss you.'

'Bye, sweetie.'

Lily's parents left and she was standing there, with James, who looked amused.

'Were you flirting with my mother?' she raised an eyebrow.

'Nope. Mums really like me...' he said. 'It's weird. But I swear I wasn't flirting!'

'Incorrigible...' Lily muttered with a smirk.

They went over to Sirius and Mr. Potter. They both smiled and waved at her.

'Hey, Lily... Good summer?' asked Sirius.

Lily shrugged. 'Alright... Yours?'

'Awesome... I dated tons of girls!'

'He's actually telling the truth... One of them was the size of a whale!' said Mr. Potter and he and his son started to laugh. Lily raised and eyebrow and looked at Sirius.

'What?'

'She was just a little chubby, ok? And...! And...! Oh, you guys suck!'

'Good one, Dad...' said James, recovering fro his laughing fit and patting his father on the back. 'I guess we'll see you on Christmas, then?'

'Oh, definitely.' Mr. Potter said. 'it was great seeing you again, Lily. Congratulations on the Headship, by the way...' he smiled. 'I have to go now... Behave, boys! Bye.'

He hugged James and then Sirius, said goodbye to Lily and left.

'Your dad is so cool!' she said, smiling.

'Well, now you know where I got that from...' James smirked. Sirius rolled his eyes.

'Don't you two have to go to the Heads Compartment?' he asked.

'Right! Thanks, Sirius! Bye!' said Lily, pulling James by the wrist and dragging him with her to the Heads Compartment.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

'So you are sharing a dorm? Is that even allowed?' asked Hestia, when they were all having dinner after Dumbledore's annual speech.

'Alice and Frank did last year!' said Lily.

'Oh, yeah! Oh, man!' Sirius started to laugh. 'Do you they did it in the dorm? Like, in the beds and all that... I mean, they were engaged, right?'

James and Lily's eyes widened.

'What...?' he asked in a small voice.

'You knoooow... They were engaged and had been dating for years! Do you think they got up to it?' Sirius suggested with a smirk. 'If they did it was probably in Frank's bed, though... Oh, poor Jamesie...'

'No! No. No. No. No. No. No. No.' James started to mutter. Lily shot Sirius a glare.

'They did not have intercourse in the—'

'Intercourse? How old are you? Not even my Grandmother – may her sould rest in Hell – said that!'

'Sirius, you are being immature! James, calm down! Even if they did, which they probably didn't because it's forbidden—'

'You checked, did ya?'

'Shut up, Sirius! Look, even if it happened, the rooms were probably cleaned during the summer and bedspreads changed, so it's not like you're going to have to sleep in it!'

'But the idea is there! Oh, Merlin! Sirius, you are so going to die for this!' James whined. 'Why did you have to bring it up?'

'James, people are not allowed to do that in here...' said Remus. 'It's a school, not the Red Light District...'

'Fine! Oh, gross! I don't even want to go there anymore!'

'Grow up, will you? What's so wrong with that?'

'You wouldn't be saying that, Hestia, if there was a chance people might have done _it _in your bed!'

'Can we change the subject? I _am_ trying to eat here...' said Mary, rolling her eyes.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Lily and James were walking behind Professor Dumbledore. He looked very happy and seemed like he'd be able to go around skipping if he could.

'I do hope you enjoy your new dorm. It's been remodelled from last year.' He said. Lily felt James letting out a relieved breath and couldn't help and but smile. 'We actually change it a bit after every school year to suit our new Head team better, you see?' he looked at them.

'Yeah, that makes sense…' said Lily.

'Definitely. And the bedspreads as well?'

Dumbledore chuckled as if he knew why James was asking that question.

'Indeed, we do change the bedspreads. Every week, actually.'

'That's very hygenic!' James smiled.

'Well, here we are.' He pointed. They were in front of a painting of a gil running through a meadow. The girl stopped at seeing them and smiled. 'You can set up your password yourselves…'

'Hmm… How about…?' Lily was thinking.

'THE UNITED KINGDOM OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, WALES AND IRELAND!' James said fast.

'What?'

'People don't know this… It'd be fun! Come on!'

Dumbledore chuckled yet again. 'I assume you heard it?' he asked the girl in the painting. She nodded and let them in. 'Enjoy! Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go to bed, since I've just started a fascinating book.'

When he left, James and Lily walked into their new dorm. They stared at it in awe. It was humongous! There was a large window that took up almost the entire wall, reaching the ceiling – which was a lot taller than the one from the Gryffindor Common Room. There were bookshelves everywhere, loaded with Potions books, Charms and Transfigurations books, Defense Against the Dark Arts books and the best of Muggle and Wizard literature – they'd never have to visit the library again! Two large mahogany desks set up in each side of the room with very comfy-looking chairs. A large red leather sofa along with two leather chairs on each side. The whole theme of the room was Gryffindor meets Library, Lily thought, and it was beautiful. There were paintings everywhere and a huge fireplace that looked like it would be perfect place to curl up next to during the winter. On each side of the fireplace, there was a staircase, which led to each of their bedrooms.

'Which one do you think it's yours?' Lily thought.

'I'd say it's the same way the Gryffindor Common Room goes…'

Lily shurgged and went to the one on the right, while James went to the left.

As she walked into her bedroom, she saw the most beautiful bed in the world. It was king-sized with a lavander-coloured, fleur-de-lis printed duvet and a dozen pillows and cushions. She had adark mahogany chest and wardrobe and an en suite bathroom, which was also huge and beautiful.

Lily heard a soft meow and saw Sergio lying comfortably on a small lavander bed that lloked like a throne.

'Oh, Merlin!' the redhead squealed, rushing downstairs and up the left staircase to talk to James. She knocked and he answered looking gobsmacked.

'This is awesome!' he said, letting her in. It was just as handsome as hers, except that everything was red and gold, Gryffindor. James' broom leaned proudly on an oak wardrobe and his bed had four red pillows and a red-and-gold bedspread. Right in the very end of the room, there was the bathroom door. Lily looked at him.

'This _is_ awesome!' she said, nodding at him.

'I don't want to leave this room… Ever!' he squealed.

'I know! Even Sergio has a little bed-throne thing going on!'

'Seriously?'

She nodded.

'Oh, cute…' he said with a smile. 'Can I see it?'

'I don't know if you can go up my staircase, James…'

'Well, shall we try, then?' and there he went.

James went down his stairs with Lily following him. He stood in front of hers and looked at it. His eyes narrowed and he lowered his torso and touched it with his finger.

'What are you-?'

'Ssssh! I am testing it!' he whispered. Lily rolled her eyes.

James slowly raised his right foot and lowered it just as slowly. Very cautiously, he touched the first step with the point of his toe. They both waited and flinched, but nothing happened. James sighed.

'Right on!' he said, stepping with his whole foot. Again, nothing happened and he began to climb the stairs with Lily following him again.

'Wow, I cannot believe they didn't put the charm on the staircase…' said Lily.

'I guess they trust the Heads not to do anything stupid…' James said. Then he snorted. 'I guess Alice and Frank might've actually gotten some action going in here…'

'Ah, gross!' she slapped him and opened her door.

'Wow, this is beautiful!' he said, walking in. Lily blushed, although she wasn't really sure as to why. 'Oh, look at the little bed!'

'Yep. That's his bed… I think it's adorable that Dumbledore thought of Sergio…'

'Who could not think of this little cutie-pie?' asked James in a very high-pitched, girl-like voice, crawling and sitting next to the cat. He ran his hand through its fur and the cat purred happily. 'You are so cute! I am very glad I picked you over the ginger cat…'

'There was a ginger cat?' Lily smiled.

'Yeah… I thought it'd be cool, since you're ginger and all that… Although you're more of a redhead then a ginger, but never mind that! The point is, there was a ginger cat who was really cute, but when I saw this one, I instantly fell in love with it…' he voice trailed off and he stared into nowhere. Lily felt uncomfortable for a second before he smiled. 'Anyway! I'm glad I chose Sergio… He's adorable…'

'He really is… I adore him…' Lily said. 'He looks like Cat from Breakfast at Tiffany's…'

James smiled and got up. He yawned and scratched his neck.

'I should be going, then… I want a very long night with my comfy comfy bed before we have to start N.E.W.T classes tomorrow…' he went to the door. 'Goodnight, Lils…'

'Goodnight, James… Enjoy your bed!'

He winked. 'You too…'

After he left, Lily closed her door, leaned on in and slid downwards. She sighed and buried her face in her hands.

'Oh, Sergio… How am I going to handle these feelings?' she asked the cat, who just stared at her. 'You are utterly useless, did you know that?' he meowed and she giggled. 'I guess you do… Well, I'm going to take a long bath in my big tub, excuse me.'

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

James left his room that morning feeling like he was abandoning a child. His bed was so incredibly comfortable and everything was so pretty and nice. He definitely loved being Head Boy and being able to sleep without having to put up with Wormtail's snoring.

He reached the bottom of his staircase and decided to wait for Lily, since he was early anyways. So, he took out his Little Black Book and started to search awesome ideas to asked Lily out in it. However, all of them seemed so outdated and immature and boring. He wanted something cool… Something cool and simple… Something cool and simple and elegant. James closed his notebook and sighed. _Damn, this is going to be harder than I imagined,_ he thought. A few minutes later he heard Lily coming down her stairs and, when she reached the Common Room, he noticed that she looked very beautiful. She had her hair all loose, lying in a red cascade on her shoulder. Her white shirt was open in the collar and he could see the necklace he gave ger. She smiled widely when she saw him.

'Morning, roomie!' she said.

'Morning… I was waiting for you…' he said shyly.

'Oh, how thoughtful! Thanks! Shall we go, then?'

He nodded and they left.

…

'Hey, Heads!' greeted Hestia when they arrived at the Great Hall.

'Hi, guys… I missed you this morning…' said Lily, sitting down. James sat across from her, between Mary and Remus.

'Did you miss us, James?' asked Sirius, looking mockingly hopeful. James sighed.

'Oh yeah… I don't know what I missed the most, though… The hour-long shower you take every morning, the twenty minutes Remus takes to shave or Peter's hundred-thousand decibel snore… Hm…'

'What's your dorm like?' asked Remus, chuckling.

James and Lily beamed. 'It's gorgeous…' she said.

'It was made by the Gods…'

'So beautiful…'

'And comfortable…'

'Blissful…'

'Just perfect!' James finished, smiling widely. Hestia rolled her eyes.

'So unfair! Ok, you guys are, like, top students and prefects and Quidditch bla bla bla… But I don't think that's worth a big bedroom!'

'With a big fireplace!' James bragged.

'And en suite bathrooms!' Lily joined him.

'Seriously?' asked Sirius. 'All to yourselves?'

'Yeppers! And Dumbledore told us that they change the sheets once and week, so joke's on you! No Frank-specimen in there!' James said. They all laughed at that.

'I can't believe you're still on that!' said Mary.

'You're kidding me? He asked _Dumbledore_ about it!' said Lily.

'I'm sorry if I think it's disgusting to sleep in another guy's… well… _little guys_…'

Emmeline threw her toast on her plate.

'Nope. Not hungry anymore. Thanks, James…'

'Anytime, Vance!' he smiled. She picked up the toast and threw at him.

'Ok, kids… Calm down, Minnie's coming with our class schedules for the year…' Sirius said.

'Great! I applied for Advanced Potions last year…' Lily said.

'Duh…' mocked James. Lily threw him a glare and the group laughed.

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_**N/A: Done and done! You liked it? Please review and tell me so! Yeeey! We are approaching fun times! Anyway, keep reading and have a nice middle-of-the-week!**_

_**Marauder-on!**_


	22. Sergio's Top Secret Mission

_**N/A: Hey, Limers! Oh, I'm so excited! We are approaching our much-expected relationship! But not now, though… I don't kiss and tell, muahahahaha! Oh, and I must apoligise for the randomness of some scenes here ^^ But I think they're nice and cute… Anyway, enjoy chapter twenty-one! **_

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#22 – Sergio's Top Secret Mission

'I can't do it… I just can't do it!' said James pacing through the boy's dorm in the Gryffindor Tower. It was a Tuesday night and he had less than three weeks until the first Hogsmeade trip, which meant he had even less than that to finally ask Lily out on a date. 'I've lost it! And my little book is useless because I've used most of them and the rest are just really, really lame!'

Remus and Sirius were looking at him walk as if they were watching a tennis match.

'No "grand gestures" come to mind?' asked Remus.

'Maybe he's too lazy to count the days he's known her again…' said Sirius with a smirk. James shot them a glare.

'You are not helping!'

'Mate, you are asking the wrong people… I asked Emmeline out through a letter and Sirius… well, he's Sirius!'

James rolled his eyes. 'You're right…. The two fo you are useless…' he sat down on his old bed, looking around. 'This place is a dump!' he said, looking at the floor in disgust.

'Well, I haven't been around too much to clean it up, so…' said Remus, shrugging.

'Man, if not even the elves want to clean this place, it'll soon become biohazardous…' James said, cringing. 'Never mind that… I have to get back anyways…'

'When are the try-outs for Quidditch going to be?' asked Sirius, leaving the bedroom with James. 'We need a new Chaser and a new Keeper, right?'

'Oh, yeah… I'll make the announcement now…'

When they got downstairs, James went to the coffee table and stood up on top of it.

'Oi, Gryffindors!' he yelled, getting everyone's attention. 'Now that I hav you attention…' he smirked. 'the Quidditch try-outs for a new Chaser and a new Keeper will be held on the weekend after Hogsmeade. If you want to be on the team, do not miss it, the first match is in late October against Ravenclaw, so we need to be ready. Thank you! Have a nice evening!' he got down the table and looked at Sirius. 'There you go!'

'Cool… I hope we find someone as good as Gwenog…' he said. James sighed.

'We won't… But maybe we can find someone as good as Marlene, and that's good enough for me…'

'Awesome… You're going now, then?'

'Yeah, I have an essay to finish.' James shrugged. 'See you tomorrow…'

'Bye.'

James left the Gryffindor Common Room feeling as unprepared as he did when he first entered it. He really wanted to find a cool, smart, sophisticated way to ask her out, to make up for the whole year he missed, but he had no clue what to do.

He walked into the Heads Dorm to find Lily reading a book on the big sofa with Sergio on her stomach, purring gently. He smiled sweetly and approached her.

'Hey…' he said. She turned to look at him.

'Hi, what's up?'

'Nothing… I was just at the Gryffindor Tower…'

'Oh, I miss that place…'

'I don't. The boy's dorm is a mess!' he chuckled. Lily laughed along. Sergio jumped from her lap and went to lay on James'.

'Oh, he likes you better!' she pouted mockingly. James' smiled broadened.

'That's cause I'm awesome, eh, lil'pal?' he stroked the cat, who meowed loudly and curled up more next to him.

'You two are incorrigible…' she said, getting up and yawning. 'I'm going to sleep… Goodnight, James.'

'Goodnight, Lils.'

She left and James was left alone with Sergio. He stared at the cat for a full two minutes when a great idea came to his mind.

'Sergio! You gave me an awesome idea!' he said, picking up the cat and going up his own staircase. Sergio would sometimes sleep in his bedroom, so Lily – being better at Charms than James - had conjured up a slightly less fancy bed for him to put in there so the cat wouldn't have to sleep on either the bed nor the floor.

Arriving in his bedroom, he let Sergio go – he went straight to his comfy pillow – and ruffled through his drawer to find his two-way mirror. That idea had a lot ot potential and Sirius had to hear it.

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'Why are we taking Advanced Potions again?' asked Mary while she, Lily, James and Remus were leaving the Potions classroom.

'It's important!' Lily said. 'Besides only the smartest take AP!' Lily answered smugly.

'Not true… Sirius is as good at Potions as the both of us, but he was smart enough not to accept the place in the class when it was offered to him…' muttered James, looking through his new book for the class, which was at least a thousand pages long. 'I mean, I can't even understand half of these instructions! You _know_ you're giving me private lessons, right, Lils?'

The others chuckled. Lily nodded.

'Yes, I am aware of that… But you're helping me with Transfiguration!'

'Deal.'

'It sucks that you aren't in our dorm anymore… I can randomly ask you questions about our essays in the morning…' moaned Mary.

'I like it… It's less one boy leaving boy stuff in our boy's dorm…' said Remus, apparently repulsed by boys. 'Why are such disgusting creatures?' James chuckled.

'No idea, mate… Mum used to say that when she and Dad started to date in Hogwarts, she practically had to hex him into taking showers after Quidditch practice…' he laughed.

Lily looked at James and smiled. It was good to see that remembering his mother didn't hurt anymore.

'When did they start to date?' asked Mary.

'Sixth year… Mum was prefect and Dad was captain of the Quidditch team.' He replied, smiling.

'You should see their wedding photos…' said Remus. He and James exchanged a look. 'They're amazing!'

'Oh yeah! It's bizarre, 'cause Dad looks just like me, but they look so happy! It's great…'

'Awn, now I want to see it!' said Mary, pouting. Lily chuckled.

'You should ask your dad to mail them to you…' she said.

'Yeah… I think I have one in my wallet, though…' James put his book inside his magically-enlarged messenger bag and took out his wallet from his back pocket. He opened it and took out a small picture of a delighted couple. The man had unruly black hair and was wearing a very nice pair of dress robes. The woman was smiling widely, with tears in her eyes, and had her long auburnish-brown hair in a braid falling on her left shoulder, and was wearing a beautiful white dress. They were hugging each other, doing a kind of dance. They were for the first time Harold and Elizabeth Potter.

'Wow…' said the girls in unison, looking at the picture.

'Your Mum looks gorgeous!' Lily said.

'They're so happy!' said Mary. 'You keep it all the time?'

'Yeppers.'

Remus looked at his watch. 'We should get going. Runes in ten minutes.'

'Right. Erm, we have to go, but you can keep the pitcure, I have another one in my bedroom…' he then left running after Remus.

'You're keeping, aren't you?' asked Mary, looking at Lily with a smirk. The redhead blushed.

'Yes… It's so pretty!'

Mary laughed. 'Let's go to the library so you can explain these Potions things to me…'

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'So this is your idea?' asked Sirius one Monday evening when he and James were hanging out at the Head Dorms.

'Yep. What do you think? It's better since I've worked on it…'

'Well, it is better… But do you think it's going to work?'

'It has to! Besides, it's very simple magic, I suppose I can pull it off… I may note even have to use magic at all, you know…'

'True…' Sirius said. He was lying on the sofa, reading a dog grooming magazine. James was sitting on his desk finishing some homework. 'How can regular dogs let people do these things to them?' he asked.

'Unlike your Animagus form, Padfoot, dogs aren't rational animals… They don't really know what's happening to them…' James answered in a monotonous tone. Sirius rolled his eyes.

'Still, though! Who you do that to an innocent Puddle?' he asked, getting up and showing James a picture of a fluffy Puddle with its hair dyed pink. Its nails were had also been painted and they were purple. And the owned had put a big bright red bow on top of its head. James couldn't help but snort.

'What the hell _is_ that?' he asked.

'See? Isn't it scary?'

'Yeah… I'll have nightmares about this psychotic Puddle now… Wow, that is sick! You know, Lily wanted to make Sergio start wearing little clothes the other day… I said "no way! It's insane! You'll kill the cat!" but she shrugged it off and got an outfit for him anyways, and then, when she was putting in on him he hissed and scratched her hand!' James said, laughing. 'It was so funny!'

Sirius laughed as well. They heard Lily walk in and had to stop though.

'Hey, guys… What's up?' she asked. Sirius nodded and waved, trying to control his laughter. 'Is everything ok?'

Both of them burst laughing and she looked at them raising an eyebrow.

'What?' she asked impatiently.

'Prongs here was just telling me about the time you tried to dress the cat! Classic!' he snorted. Lily rolled her eyes.

'Can't you let that go?' she asked James, who shook his head.

'It was too funny, sorry…'

She rolled her eyes again, but the boys noticed she was trying to contain an smile. 'You're stupid.'

'Oh, Lily, you know it's funny!'

'It's not! Stop it!'

'What's that paper?' James asked, changing the subject and pointing at a piece of paper Lily was holding.

'Oh, it's a list of Hogsmeade permission sheets… McGonagall asked me to handle them…' she said.

'So you're not going to Hogsmeade?' James asked, trying to sound nonchalant but going for alarmed instead.

'No, I'm going, I'll just have to check the third years real quick then I can leave… Filch is in charge of not letting the ones that are not permitted to leave get out of the Castle… But I think all the kids have permission.' She said. James let out a relieved sigh and asked for the list. She gave it to him and he scanned it.

'Yeah, they're all here… Cool!' he said, smiling.

'Well, I'll leave you two to it, then… Pete and I are going to the Kitchens…' Sirius said, going to the door. 'Tell me how that works out!' he said to James, who winked.

'You'll see in a couple of days…'

'Awesome. Bye, Lily!'

'Bye… What are you going to do?' she asked James, who shrugged. 'Nothing…' he replied evasively. Lily raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.

'Yeah, right… Well, I'm going to take a shower… Potions afterwards?' she asked, going to her staircase.

'Can't wait!' James answered sarcastically. Lily chuckled and went.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Two days until Hogsmeade. Lily was growing impatient. She spent the entire day next to James, waiting for him to actually make the move, but nothing. He did have a weird look of mischief in his eyes and sometimes she'd catch him smiling for no reason, but still no invitations.

When dinner time came, she was close to punching the boy.

'I could easily hex him into the next century! I mean, two days! It's freaking Thursday for crying out loud!' Lily exclaimed as she and the girls walked to the Great Hall to eat.

'Maybe he'll ask you now… Or tomorrow…' suggested Mary.

'Or catch you off guard on Saturday and it'll be like a surprise date!' said Hestia, beaming. 'He _is_ very romantic…'

As Lily was about to reply that she didn't really like the idea of a surprise date, Sergio came running towards her.

'Sergio! What are you doing here?' she asked. They all shared looks and lifted eyebrows.

The cat meowed and turned back, almost motioning for them to follow him.

'Should we follow you cat?' asked Emmeline.

'I think he wants us to… So weird…' Lily started to walk after the cat, who strolled calmly through the corridors. Then they arrived at the panting that guarded the Heads Dorm. Lily whispered the password and they got in. It was empty.

'Wow, an empty room… Your cat's on fire!' said Hestia sarcastically.

'What is it, Serg? Is anything wrong?' Lily asked the cat, ignoring her friend.

He meowed again and went running up her staircase. Lily lifted and eyebrow. 'Maybe he's hungry?' she followed him.

The girls were standing outside of her bedroom staring at the cat who would probably be smirking if he could. He gently tapped the door with his tail and meowed yet again.

When Lily opened the door, all of the girls just stood there in awe. There were hundreds of dozens of roses. Red and yellow. They were on top of her wardrobe, on her nightstand, on her pillows, her small desk. And there were petals all thorugh the floor, and they made a small path that led to a small table that Lily had never seen before. On top of that table there was another bouquet, but this one was tied with a beautiful pink bow and had a note attached to it.

'Oh, Merlin… Lily!' squealed Hestia, pushing her friend forward.

Lily walked to the table and picked up the note. It just read "Lily" o the little envelope, so she opened it and began to read.

"_Lily,_

_I hope you don't mind all of the flowers in here, but I really wanted something private, just for you, since you always seemed to hate my public grand gestures… Anyway, it took me a long time to get up the courage – and the ideas, by the way – to do this again, so here we go: _

_Would you like to go out with me this Saturday? As in on a date? _

_Yours as always,_

_ James_"

Lily finished reading it and felt her heart melt with happiness.

'So, what does it say?' asked Mary.

'He asked me out!' Lily answered. 'James asked me out!'

Emmeline, Mary and Hestia started to squeal and jump and do little girly shriek-y things. Lily giggled and actually joined them.

'Ok, fun's over, guys…' said Mary, stopping after about five minutes of giggling. 'You have to answer him…'

'Right…'

'We'll get him!' said Hestia. 'Yep, just stay here and enjoy your pretty flowers and we'll get him!'

'Ok… Are you sure?'

'Yep! Bye!' she said, draggin the other two out and smiling broadly. Lily lifted an eyebrow.

'She's very peculiar…' she said before turning back to her note and squealing once more.

…

'Oi, Potter!' said Hestia, entering the Great Hall followed by Emmeline and Mary, who were confused.

'What are you doing?' whispered Mary.

'Relax, it'll be funny!' Hestia said. They approached the Marauders and James gave them a cheeky smile.

'Yes?'

'Lily wants to see you.' She said, emotionlessly.

'She does? Why?' he asked, pretending not to know.

'You know why! She's very pissed at you!' Hestia answered pretend-angrily, but James didn't catch it, as his smile fell.

'What..?' he asked in the smallest of voices. 'She didn't like it?'

'Nope. She's really mad… I'd go there right now and fix it if I were you…' she said. James looked at his friends exasperatedly and they shrugged. He got up and left the Great Hall in a run. The girls sat down and smirked.

'You are so going to Hell for this…' said Remus, eating a piece of his pie.'

'I do not know what you are talking about, kind sir…' said Hestia. A second later they all started to laugh, gaining the attention of the entire Hall.

'This will be hilarious!' said Sirius. 'I wish I was little fly and could see it…' he sighed.

'Lily will tell us tomorrow…' Mary said. 'But I agree… I wish I could be there to see it…'

…

James entered his hall running and climbed up Lily's staircase as fast as he could. He swung the foor open and didn't even wait for her to turn to speak.

'Look, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you! It's too much, I get it… But please don't hate me again, I couldn't take it! And— What are you laughing at?' he looked at her face and she was controlling her laughter.

'Did Hestia say I hated it?'

'Yes! She told me you were pissed and that you hated it!"

Lily laughed again.

'I don't hate it, James… I love it! It's beautiful!' she said, looking in his eyes. 'And yes, by the way.'

'Yes, what?'

'Yes, I'll go on a date with you, duh…'

James froze. Lily waved her hand in front of his eyes and called out his name.

'Are you ok?' she asked.

He nodded and cleared his throat.

'I wasn't, erm, prepared for this…' he said.

'For what?'

'You actually saying yes…'

Lily rolled her eyes.

'Oh, grow up, will you? I do want to go out with you, be happy!'

He smiled. 'I am happy. I am the happiest I've ever been.'

James hugged and lifted her, then twirled her while she shrieked.

'AH! Put me down!' she asked, giggling. He chuckled.

'Ok. Awesome!' he put her down and smacked her forehead. 'I have so many things to do! I must prepare! I'll see you in the morning, Lils, goodnight!' he said, giving her a peck on the cheek and leaving her giggly self in the room.

Lily heard from the bottom of the stairs a very excited James scream "YEAAAAH!" and she suddenly felt the urge to do the same.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

_**N/A: Look at that! They're going on a date! How cool is that? See? It's happening, no need to beg for it anymore, he-he… I will see you on the next chapter, byeee!**_

_**Marauder-on!**_


	23. I Want the World to See You Be With Me

**N/A: Finally our oh-so-expected first date! Yey!**

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#23 – I Want the World to See You Be With Me

Lily Evans was staring at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a jeans skirt with grey tights. Hestia had lent her a pretty green blouse that brought out her eyes and she found a really cute pair of flats in her trunk. She smiled at her reflexion. Her hair was flowing like a crimson cascade down her right shoulder and her had little make-up on, because she knew James preferred the natural look. Boy, she was going on a date with James Potter. Never in a million years she would've imagine this was going to happen. And never would she have imagined how happy she'd be. Because she was. So very happy.

'Oh, Lily. You can do this!' she said, picking up her purse, stroking Sergio and leaving. She took a deep breath before going down the stairs. As she reached the bottom, Lily giggled when she found a rather nervous-looking James pacing through their Common Room.

He looked very handsome wearing khakis, a T-shirt of some Wizard band Lily had never heard of and a long-sleeved shirt over it, and his usual Converse. She also noticed there was a grey blazer resting on the sofa.

Lily cleared her throat to make herself noticed and, when he turned, his jaw dropped.

'Hi! You look—wow, you look beautiful...' he said, giving her a shy smile.

'You don't look too bad yourself, Mr. Potter...' Lily said. She was trying her best not to sound as nervous as she felt. So far, she was doing a better job than him, since he tripped twice on the way to her staircase. 'Wow, you are clumsy!'

He chuckled nervously.

'Yeah... Shall we-hm-go?'

Lily smiled and went towards him. She took his hand and lifted herself to give him a peck on the cheek.

'Stop being so nervous... Let's just have a good time, alright?'

James gulped and nodded. 'Ok...'

'Great! Let's go! I still have to check the thrid years...'

'Right! I'll help you with that.'

'Grand, thanks!'

'Any time, my lady...' he took a bow and she laughed.

'Such a goof!'

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

It was almost noon and Lily and James were finally on their way to Hogsmeade. Apparently, taking care of third years was more difficult than it seemed. Especially when the person helping you really wanted to leave.

'Thank goodness! I couldn't stand it anymore!' said James, smirking. 'None of those kids are playing for me this year...'

Lily giggled. 'You are exaggerating. What if that short chubby one – Figgins? – is really, really good?'

'Nah... The broom can't even lift him up properly... I saw one of his flying lessons during his first year... Damn, that boy is going to be grounded for life...' he chuckled. 'I'm hungry...'

'Me too! Where shall we eat?'

'Three Broomsticks?' he asked. 'But I don't mind if you want to go to Madam Puddifoots...'

'Yuck! No way! Three Broomsticks sounds great!' she smiled. He looked at her fondly.

'I like you, Evans...' he said and she chuckled.

'NO WAY!' she said, faking surprise. James laughed.

Then a comfortable silence fell. James and Lily were walking side-by-side to the Three Bromsticks. James sighed to himself and mumbled something. He then moved his hand to hold hers. She seemed a little surprised by it, but held his hand back nonetheless, and smiled sweetly, looking at him.

When they arrived at the pub, they found a table and sat, James pulling a chair for her first, then sitting.

'How chivalrous of you..' she commented, smiling widely. He smiled back.

'Thanks... Mum taught me well...' he winked and Lily giggled. 'Som what do you want to eat? And don't be all girly and "and want a salad", choose actual food because I've seen you eat...' he said. Lily nodded.

'Yes, I know that... I will have... Hm... You knwo what? Surprise me...' she said. He chuckled and got up.

'Will do, my lady...' he said, then left for the bar to order their food. Lily sat there alone, smiling stupidly at how cool this was so far. She watched as James waited to order. He looked so handsome and he was so nice and funny and polite. Lily kicked herself mentally for not agreeing to do this sooner. If she'd known he'd be such a gentleman instead of the toerag he used to be, they'd be dating a long time ago. She sighed.

A few minutes later, James returned with two pints of Butterbeer. He was smiling widely.

'What?' she asked as he sat down.

He shrugged. 'Nothing... It's just... This is great.' He said, rubbing his neck. Lily smiled at him.

'It really is...' she said. James looked at her and their eyes met. They only broke contact when their food arrived and James smirked at her. 'James? What is this?' she asked, pointing at the blob on her plate.

'Well, you said to surprise so, so theres's your surprise!' he said, smiling widely.

'But... _what_ is this?' she asked and cringed.

'No idea.' He chuckled. 'I order the surprise dish, you see... I got one for me too so you wouldn't have to suffer alone.' He said, pointing at his own blob on his own plate. Lily nodded.

'Shall we dig in, then?' she asked. He gulped and agreed. They both picked up their forks and took a bite at the same time. And, at the sime time, they both spit it out and began choking.

'WHAT IS THIS?' he asked, coughing.

'Whatever it is, I am definitely not taking another bite out of it.' Lily said, pushing her plate away.

'Merlin's pants... This is literally the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted!' he said. 'And I've had to lick Padfoot's fur as a Dare once!' he said, downing his beverage to take the horrid taste off his tongue. Lily beamed and smiled.

'Now I need to hear this story!' she said. He chuckled and began.

'Well, it was last year...'

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

After lunch, they decided to take a walk around Hogsmeade. James had a great idea and dragged Lily behind him.

'Where are you taking me?' she asked in the middle of giggles.

'You'll see!' he said. Minutes later they were in front of Zonko's and James smiled produly while Lily looked at it nervously.

'Sure?' she asked.

He nodded. 'Lily, you have to go in at least once in your life. Might as well be now, eh?' he winked. She shurgged and nodded.

'Yeah. Let's go.' They entered and it was wonderful. Pranksters everywhere. There were dungbombs and nose-bleeders. Explosives and automatic-laughing-quills that made you laugh uncontrollably. It was so bright and happy and everyone in there was vibrant and excited.

Lily looked around in awe. She'd always dreaded going inside that shop and now she never wanted to leave.

'Pretty amazing, right?' James asked, whispering in her ear, giving her goosebumps.

'Yeaah...' she answered, astounded. 'This is... awesome!' she looked at him and he beamed down at her.

'Seriously?'

'Yeppers!' she said, immitating him and making him laugh.

'Let's buy some stuff!'

'Ok!'

...

'You sure know how to make a good girl go bad, Mr. Potter.' Lily said when she and James left Zonko's with their arms linked and hands filled with bags. He chuckled.

'Yes, ma'am... But you loved it, right?'

'I did, actually! It's fun! I never thought being a prankster was cool...'

'That's why we do it!' he said smugly.

'What next?' she asked.

'HONEYDUKES!' he bellowed. Lily giggled and followed him.

The young couple went to Honeydukes where James bought her loads of sweets ("James, I will not let you spend money on me... James! James! Oh, you are incorrigible!"), then they visited the Shrieking Shack, where James told Lily all about the Marauders first adventures as Animagi and she grasped his arm everytime the story got a bit too dangerous. After that, they decided to go to Madam Puddifoot's Tea House and mock the lovey dovey people in there ("Oh, darling, it is amazing to be here with you!" Lily would say, pretending to wave an invisible handkerchief. "Lily, dove, you have lovely knees..." James replied, making her laugh and choke on her tea.) and then they decided to head back to the Castle and just chat on their way to the Heads Dorm.

'It couldn't have been...' she said, smiling.

'I swear! I knew I liked you the first time a saw on the Platform... We hadn't even entered the Platform 9 ¾ yet... You were standing with your trunk next to your parents, looking very nervous. I remember thinking "wow, her hair is so red!" and from that to "wow, she is so pretty" it only took about two seconds...' he said. Lily smiled.

'This is weird... First time I saw I actually thought you were cute... Then you _had _to open you mouth...' she said, mockingly. James looked down at her and smiled sadly.

'I was kind of a git that day... I'm really sorry... It was mean and—'

'Hey... It's in the past and, honestly, it doesn't matter anymore...'

They were standing outside of their dorm now. The girl in the painting had stopped and was now walking towards them.

'I mean, you were eleven... You don't expect an eleven-year-old to be mature... And Snape deserved it...' she said, her voice dropping. James lifted her chin with his hand.

'You miss him, don't you?' he asked softly. It was just a question, no pressure or anger. Lily shrugged.

'Not him, but the idea of him... You know? A guy who was my best friend and who knew everything about me...' she said, her eyes filling with tears. 'It's just... I have the girls, right? But you can't always tell girls some things... Like you can't talk to guys about some things... But Snape knew me since I was a little girl... I dunno, it always seemed like he understood everything I went through at home...'

'Ssh...' he said, hugging her. She hugged him around the waist and buried her face on his chest. James kissed the top of her head and rested his chin there. 'You have me now... If you want...' he offered shyly. She parted from him and looked him in the eyes. The most beautiful, truthul hazel eyes in the world, and smiled.

'I do... And you are amazing...' she said. He blushed and their eyes met. He moved the hands that were on her waist to cup her face and gently pulled her closer. Lily closed her eyes and so did he, then their lips met.

It seemed like a thousand volts were running through her veins and all the butterlfies in the world decided to fly about in her stomach. Lily head fireworks and angels playing a harp orchestra in heaven. She moved her hands from his waist and grabbed his neck, pulling him closer gently to deepen the kiss. His lips formed a smile and he moved one hand to the back of her had, grasping her hair, and the other to the small of her back, pulling her entire body closer to him.

They parted after what could've been years or seconds, both breathing loudly, smiling broadly and blushing furiously. It brought back memories from the first time he'd kissed her, almost five years before.

_It was early November and Lily was studying with Severus near the Lake. Since it was Saturday and the sun was actually out, that was an option for most of the students. Lily, who should've been revising for Transfiguration, had her mind elsewhere and didn't even notice Severus trying to get her attention. _

_ 'Lily! Lily, are you listening to me?' he asked. _

_ 'Oh, sorry, Sev... What?'_

_ 'I was asking you what you got for question five, but I suppose you didn't even get to the second one, right?'_

_ 'I'm sorry...' she smiled. 'I'm so tired... My mind is travelling.'_

_ 'It's ok... I'm—Potter!' he hissed, looking over her shoulder. James was walking their way, looking rather shy and a bit out-of-place without his right-hand-man, Sirius. _

_ 'Hey, guys... Hope I'm not interrupting anything...' he said. Severys glared at him and Lily looked at him, bored. _

_ 'What do you want, Potter?' she asked. He smirked. _

_ 'I need you to give me something...' he replied shyly. _

_ 'Oh yeah?' she snorted. 'And what would that be?'_

_ 'Have you ever read Peter Pan?' he asked, smiling. _

_ Lily thought that was really strange, but answered nonetheless. 'Of course I have, I'm a Muggle-born, remember? We all do...'_

_ 'Right, yeah... So, I need you to give me a thimble...' he asked her. _

_ 'Wha-?' but her question was interrupted by his lips meeting her. It didn't last long at all, ten seconds at the most, but Lily felt butterflies for the first time in ther life and she felt her face blush into deep red. _

_ 'Potter!' exclaimed an angry Severus from behind her. Lily soon got back to reality and glared at him. _

_ 'Why did you do that?' she hissed. _

_ 'I like you, Evans... And I wanted to kiss you! Gotta go now... bye!' he left before she could even realise he was gone. Lily pouted, even though she secretly enjoyed her first, stolen kiss. _

'Wow...' he said. Lily nodded. 'Can I do it again?' he asked. Lily looked at him and smiled. He pulled her closer again and their lips met once more, now even deeper than before.

The girl in the painting had her hands covering her eyes and giggled silently.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

'Why do we even have to study Potions?' asked Hestia. Emmeline and Mary rolled their eyes.

'Because you need it in oder to work in the Ministry... Now, where is Lily? She was supposed to be helping us!' said Emmeline.

Mary was in her bed, reading a magazine, and smiled. 'Mayeb the date went very well...' she said. Hestia and Emmeline's eyes widened.

'Yeeeaaah...' said Hestia.

At that moment, Lily walked in with a goofy smile on her face.

'Hey, Lils... How was your date?'

'Magnificent...' she said. 'Perfect... Incredible. Wonderful.'

'Ooooooh...' said Emmeline, giving her a hug. 'Are you an item now?'

Lily giggled. 'Perhaps...' she answered.

'Did you kiss?' asked Mary. The three of them stood before Lily with questioning looks. The redhead nodded. 'Aaaand? Does he stand up to the legend?'

'Definitely... Although, I am unsure about the legend, since I've never heard anything, but, damn, that was a good kiss!'

'REALLY?' the three asked in unison.

'How good?' asked Hestia.

'Butterflies, fireworks, electrical shocks and wobbly knees good...' she answered. 'It was tender and soft and strong at the same time...'

'Oh, Lily! This is wonderful! You guys make such a cute couple!' said Emmeline. Lily nodded.

'He's wonderful... It was really great... I can't wait to wake up tomorrow and be officially part of the James/Lily couple...' she chuckled.

'Beware of the hate mail...' Emmeline said.

'Ah, never mind that! You guys are _the_ couple! And you are Heads, so no one will bother you in your dorm...' said Hestia, lifting an eyebrow.

'Get your mind out of the gutter, Hest...' said Mary, smacking her friend in the head. Hestia smirked and the others laughed.

'Let's study some Potions, ladies?' asked Lily.

'But you just had a perfect date! Don't you want to go and spend time with your new boyfriend?' whined Emmeline.

'I'd love to, but he's spending time with his boyfriends now, which means you are mine!' and then she did her wicked laugh at which the other laughed.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

'Hey, Prongs, how was your date?' Sirius asked when James walked in the Kitchens. Remus and Peter looked up from their chocolate cakes and smiled at their friend.

James had the goofiest, most happiest smile on his face. His eyes were unfocused and he had unknowingly been humming random love songs for the past hour, while he wandered about the Castle.

'Judging by the stupid look on his face, I'd say there was kissing...' Remus said.

James looked at him and smiled wider.

'The best kiss ever.' He answered.

'Oh! How was it?' asked Sirius.

'Indiscribable.' James said. 'Just... everything a perfect kiss could be, except it was with Lily, which made it even more perfect... It was exactly as I remembered...' he said, leaning against the wall and sliding down. He crossed his legs and closed his eyes.

'Wow... You still remember that? It was, like, five years ago!' said Peter.

'Of course I do, Peter... I lover Lily. And today just made me realise how much I do and how I don't want to kiss anyone else, ever! Just her... forever...' he whispered.

'Aren't you cute?' said Sirius, taking a bite out of the sandwich he'd been eating before James walked in. 'You're a couple now, then?'

'I think so... Should I ask her? I thought it was implied!'

'I dunno... Maybe you should...' said Remus, shrugging. 'I'm happy for you two...'

'Thanks, Moony.'

Sirius lifted his glass of pumpkin juice.

'To Prongs and Prongette!'

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

When Lily walked into the Heads Dorm a little after midnight, she was actually surprised to see James there. Her heart jumped at the sight of him and she smiled automatically.

'Hi...' she said.

He looked up from the book her was reading and smiled broadly.

'Hey...' he got up and went towards her. James pulled her into a hug and gave a kiss. 'I missed you...' she giggled.

'Me too... What are you doing up so late?'

'Oh... I needed to ask you something...'

'Yeah?'

He cleared his throat and got down to one knee.

'Lily Evans, will you give me the pleasure of being my girlfriend?'

Lily's smile grew wider as she nodded furiously. 'Yes, yes! Definitely yes!' She said. He grinned and they hugged.

'I need you to give me something, though...' she said,

'What?' he asked, looking confused.

'I kinda need my thimble back...' she said with a grin. He smirked.

'By all means, just take it...' he said. She giggled and pulled him for a brethtaking kiss.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

**N/A: Are you as happy as I am about this chapter? Sorry about the Peter Pan reference, but I thought that'd be cute... ^^ Anyways, I dare you to find the rhyme that I hid in there (actually, it was an accident, but I left it for fun)! Muahahaha! There's no prize for it, but it's a fun game... Well, that's that... Review, please, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!**

**Marauder-on!**

**P.S: if you haven't read Peter Pan (by J.M. Barrie) yet, you totally should, because it is wonderful! I personally love it!**


	24. Limes or Jily?

**N/A: Oh, my! They are finally together! Happy days! And thanks fro the reviews… Keep reviewing, it gets me writing ^^**

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#24 – Limes or Jily?

James Potter snapped his eyes open. He had had the most wonderful dream. In the dream, he was Lily's boyfriend and everything was finally perfect. He sighed and got up. He looked out his window and saw that it was raining.

'Bloody perfect.' He muttered, putting his glasses on and going to the bathroom.

After showeing, brushing his teeth and changing into brown demin trousers and a white T-shirt, picked up his favourite blue sweater and left his room, finding Lily, his dream-girlfriend, sitting on the sofa with Sergio, reading a book. James sighed again. She looked up and smiled.

'Hey…' she said.

'Hi…' he answered in a sad voice. Lily frowned and got up, standing right in front of him and staring into his eyes.

'What's wrong?' she asked. He shrugged.

'Nothing… I just had a really good dream and then I woke up, that's all…' he said.

'Oh… I'm sorry… Anyway, we better head down for breakfast… It's almost eight…' she said, lifting on her toes and giving him a peck on the lips. James stood there frozen. His eyes were wide.

'Are you ok, James?' she asked.

'I-it wasn't a dream?' he stuttered.

'What?'

'In my dream. We were dating in my dream. But you just kissed me. On the lips.' He said. Lily threw her head back and began to laugh.

'Oh, dear… Sweetie, you're a weirdo.' She said, stroking his cheek with her hand. He smiled widely.

'Oh, Merlin!' he bellowed, sounding incredibly happy. He picked her up and twirled her like he'd done the night before and she shrieked again. 'James! Cut it out!' she exclaimed. He let her down and kissed her deeply.

'We have to go…' she said between deep breaths after the kiss.

'Yeah, ok…' he said, clearly wanting to stay there and snog her senseless. They held hands, fingers intertwined, and left their Common Room.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

The couple walked through the corridors of Hogwarts and attracted many looks. Girls were shocked at first and then threw dirty looks at Lily. Some boys high-fived James – and Lily shot them glares – and some people just seemed confused as to why these people were so randombly dating all of a sudden.

As they stepped into the Great Hall, still holding hands, silence fell. Every single female eye above the age of fifteen glared at the rehead. Lily shivered and cleared her throat.

'Ok…' she whispered. 'Let's go it, shall we?' she said to James, who nodded chuckling and followed her.

They sat down and Lily sighed.

'I hate girls.' She said after the conversations had begun once more, although she was almost sure most of them were about her instead of their preciosu topics. Mary, Emmeline and Hestia, who were sitting in front of her, laughed.

'You said yourself that James' girlfriend might as well be a ghost, because all the hatred would kill her…' said Mary. Lily rolled her eyes.

James chuckled.

'Don't worry… Soon they'll realise that they prefer Sirius anyways…' he shrugged.

Lily hit him in the arm playfully.

'That's cause they're not glaring at you, you big dork!' she said.

'Aaaaaaawn!' said Emmeline, looking at them fondly.

'What?' they asked in unison.

'You guys are so adorable!'

James smiled widely. Lily rolled her eyes.

'I guess we know who's the girl in this relationship…' said Sirius, sitting besides James.

'I don't mind… As long as I'm in a relationship with Lily!' James said, causing the three girls to go "awn" and Lily to roll her eyes again.

'You did not just say that…' she said.

'Yeah, I did! Ha-ha!'

'Such a dork.'

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The day was almost over and James and Sirius had a free period before dinner, so they just decided to "hang out" and do "bro stuff". Hestia put the quotation marks. Of course, Remus also had a free period, as did Lily and the girls, but they all remained in the library, trying to finish the long list of homework essays that were due on the next week.

So, James and Sirius were strolling around the castle, telling jokes and chasing Peeves. Sirius was about to hex the poltergeist when they heard a little throat-clearing behind them.

'Mr. Potter, Mr. Black.' Professor McGonagall said. The boys turned to look at her and smiled.

'Hey, Minnie… How's life treating ya?' Sirius asked, giving his best smirk. The professor rolled her eyes and turned to James.

'I'd like a word with you, Potter.' She said.

'Ok.' He nodded.

'Well, I am aware of your new romantic involvement with Miss Evans…' she began, obviously searching for the right words.

'Ok…' James said, lifting an eyebrow. 'Will that be a problem? Because Alice and Frank—'

'No, no! It won't be a problem whatsoever. You see, we always have to say this to a new pair of Heads and given that the two of you are an item, only makes this more relevant.' She said. 'I am going to have to ask you, Mr. Potter, not to _do_ anything in the dorms… And if it _happens_, I can't stress enough how _careful_ you should be.'

James stared at her, jaw dropped. Sirius was trying his best not to laugh. The professor cleared her throat again.

'Well, I suppose that's about it. Have a nice afternoon, the two of you. Excuse me.' Then she left. When she was out of sight, Sirius began to laugh uncontrollably. James glared at him.

'Cut it out!' he said.

'Oh, mate! She just gave you _the talk_!' he laughed. 'That was priceless!'

'It was so embarassing!'

'Yes! Priceless!'

James rolled his eyes again and began to walk away from Sirius, who was still laughing, and followed his friend.

'Come on, Prongsie, it was hilarious!'

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'Are you coming to dinner, Lily?' asked Mary. The girls and Remus were heading down for dinner after long hours of studying.

'Hm, yeah… I just need to find a book. I'll be there in ten minutes.' She said.

'Want us to wait?' asked Emmeline, finishing packing up her things.

'No, you can go… I'll be done in a second.' Lily smiled and they all nodded.

'We'll tell Jamie to wait up for you!' yelled Hestia from the door. Lily chuckled and went to find her book.

After she finished what she had to do, Lily left the library, feeling her empty stomach talk louder than the urge to do more homework.

'Damn, you stomach!' Lily said playfully. She put the rest of her things in her bag and left.

As she walked out the door, she bumped into someone.

'Oh, I'm so sorr—Snape.'

'Lily, I need to speak to you.'

'We don't have anything to talk about, Snape.' She said dryly.

'Oh yeah? About about your new boyfriend?' he asked. 'Potter, Lily? Out of all the people—'

'Look, my relationships are none of your business, alright? And I'll have you know that James is amazing and I am very happy with him. Have a nice day.' She said, walking away. Snape held her wrist.

'I can't let you be with him! Not after all we've been though together!' he sounded very sad, but Lily didn't care. She just wanted to go to dinner and find James.

'You can't let me? You think you're the boss of me, now? I think you've been around the Potions classroom for too long, Snape. It's starting to ruin your brain. And everything we've been through was flushed down the toilet the moment you decided to join You-Know-Who!' she said, soundind shrill.

'I did it to protect you!'

'You did it because you are arrogant and you have a dark soul. You want power and you hate the Muggles as well, don't you? Ironic, coming from a half-blood…' she said. 'How could you ever want to protect me? You called me a "mudblood"!'

'I didn't mean to! They forced me! With their stupid pranking!'

'We've been over this, Snape! How did they ever force you when they can't even say the word themselves?' she yelled, tears rolling down her cheeks. 'I am sorry we can't be friend anymore, because I do cherish those times we had together… But we've grown apart, Snape. There's nothing we can do about it. You just have to let it go!' she said, getting her arm off his grip. 'And leave me alone!'

'Lily, wait!'

'No. It's Evans now, Snape. We aren't friend anymore.' Lily left, trying to wipe off the tears that kept falling.

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'Where is she?' asked James for the hundreth time.

'I don't know… Studying still, maybe?' suggested Sirius.

'But she said she was coming in about ten minutes… It's been half an hour!' said Mary, also worried.

They looked at the entrance of the Great Hall and saw Snape walking in looking sad and frazzled. James glared at him and his face turned dark.

'I don't think she's studying.' He said, standing up.

'What are you going to do?' asked a nervous Remus.

'I'll just talk to him. I just think it's very suspicious that Snivellus arrived her twenty minutes after my girlfriend was supposed to.' James replied, walking towards the Slytherin table.

'Oi, Snape.' He said. Snape looked at him and glared. 'Where's Lily?'

'How am I supposed to know? Can't you take care of you own woman, Potter?' the Slytherins around him laughed. James held to Snape's shirt collar and pulled him closer, almost touching his nose.

'What. Did. You. Do?' he asked in an angry voice. Snape gulped and got himself lose.

'I didn't do anything. We just talked.'

'Oh, yeah, because her talks with you always end in picnics!' James spit sarcastically. 'Where did she go, then? If you just talked to her…'

'Like I know. She left running.'

James glared at him again and walked away, leaving the Great Hall. He ran through the corridors, not bothering to dodge from the ghosts or caring about the painting's and portrait's comments. Sir Cadogan thougt it would be funny to race him and kept yelling battle cries. James just rolled his eyes at that and continued to make his way to their dorm.

He said the password to the girl, who gave him a meaningful look as though she knew why he was flushed and out-of-breath. James walked in to find Lily curled up in a ball on the sofa, crying. He sighed and went to join her.

'Hey…' he said, huggin her. Lily looked up and hugged him back, burying her face on his neck. He kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair. 'Are you alright?'

Lily nodded. 'Yeah… Just tired.'

'You don't seem alright…' she looked up and their eyes met.

'I'm sorry.' She said, looking down. He lifted her chin with his hand and kissed her gently on the lips.

'What are you sorry about?' he asked, his tone soothing and calm.

Lily shrugged. 'I'm sorry I got so worked up about Snape. I hate that he makes me so angry now.'

'You want to be friend with you again, then?'

'No… Not after what he's done. We stopped being friends when he joined You-Know-Who… And that's fine… I just don't like him coming here and judging my decisions… Speaking ill of you…'

James chuckled. 'Lils, the guy hates me… And it's mutual… It's only natural that he's going to say anything like that about me… I don't care what he thinks, though, he's just a little dick.'

Lily looked at him and giggled. 'That is mean…' James shrugged.

'You know our history, Lilykins… We shall hate each other til the end of times…' he said solmenly, which made lily giggle more. 'Oh! I have to tell you something! It will definitely make you forget all about Snivelly!'

'What?'

'Minnie came to talk to me during the free period… She gave me "the talk" and told me that we aren't supposed to _do_ anything her and if we did, we were supposed to be careful. She also said that they normally have this talk with all the Heads, but it was more relevant now given our current status.' He said, smiling widely at her shocked face.

'She said that?'

'Yeppers.'

'Oh my God!' Lily got up and closed her eyes. 'Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!'

James laughed. 'Relax, it's fine…'

'I don't want her thinking "I wonder if those two did it already"! Ew! No! Gross!' she said. James got up and held her.

'Relax… It's not as if we're doing that anytime soon. We've literally started dating yesterday.' He said.

'Yeah? Aren't you, like, anxious about it?'

James smiled. 'Nope. I want to do everything in your time… As you can imagine, I've been in this relationship for far longer than you have… Hell, if it were for me, we'd be married by now… But you haven't and it's new and exciting… Let's take things slow, alright?'

She beamed at him and smiled widely.

'Thank you for being so great.'

'You're welcome.' She said and pulled her for a kiss.

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**N/A: I promise I won't end all of the chapters with them kissing, alright? :D Anyway, yey, chapter 24 is done! Next up is Full Moon adventures! (Not the name of the chapter)… Keep reading and reviewing! Thanks everyone who did review, you guys are a-MA-zing! **

**Marauder-on!**


	25. Marauding

**N/A: Hey-oh! How's everyone doing? I promise to stop ending the chapters with James and Lily involved in a romantic kiss... It was new and exciting, but it's probably going to be boring and all that, so alright! Hope you enjoy this chapter and, please, remember to review! Reviews rule!**

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#25 – Marauding...

'Sooooo...' Lily began as she waited for James to finish packing his bag while sitting on his bed.

'What do you want?' he asked with a smirk.

'What maked you think I want anything?' she batted her eyelashes and smiled.

'Lily, I know you. You're here, so that's that. Second of all, you are sitting on my bed, legs crossed, wearing _that_ skirt. I am seventeen, Lily. And a boy. You obviously want something.' He explained, closing his bag and throwing it on his shoulder.

Lily pouted. 'Fine, I'll tell you. I knew those years of you stalking me would come back to bite me in the arse!' James chuckled. 'It's just... It's Full Moon tomorrow night.'

'Yes?'

'And... I'm worried. Because we're together now and it makes me a thousand times more worried...'

'You don't want me to go, then? Is that it?' he asked, facing her in front of the door. Lily looked down and nodded. 'I can't do that.'

'Why not?' she asked defiantly.

'Because he needs us. Remus needs us and I'm sorry it bothers you, but this is our thing. It's about him and it needs to be done. You have no idea how much pain he has to go through. He basically tears his own skin apart every night and has it grown back again and it is painful to him... I just can't—' he trailed off, looking away. Lily felt her heart shrink and her eyes filled with tears. She held his face and stared deep into his hazel eyes.

'If you get hurt, I will kill you, James.' She said, letting her tears fall. He smiled at her and wiped her eyes with his thumbs.

'I know... Thank you.'

'Let's go.' She said simply, letting herself out. James followed her and held her wrist.

'Look at me.' He said, spinning her and trapping her against the wall. 'I know you're not fine with this, Lily, but you have to learn that we take risks and I'm not going to stop. We're brothers.'

'I know... I just—' she began, putting a hand on his chest. 'Those cuts from the night you guys told me your secret are fixed on my brain. Everytime I try to tell myself that this is important to Remus and that you are his best friend and you have his back, my brain sends the images of your bloody clothes and your arms... And then I panic and freak out and fear for you. Is that a bad thing? Should I just let you go? Because I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing. I know the risks you take... The stupid... Stupid risks you guys take, and I'm fine with those lame ones, where you go to Hogsmeade to get booze or whatever... But this is life-threatening. And I don't want to—I can't lose you, James.' She said.

James looked at her green eyes and frowned. He did not want her to feel that way. So he leaned closer and kissed her. They stayed that way for a few minutes until he pulled apart and cupped her face with his hands.

'I know. You are perfect. I love that you care about me that way. Thank you.' He said. 'It's not a bad thing... You'll just have to get used to it...'

'Right.' She snorted. 'Like that's gonna happen.'

'Alright, maybe it won't... I'll find a way to fix it, ok?'

'Fix what?'

'This...'

'You're planning on curing Remus?' she asked, lifting an eyebrow. 'Yes, Lily... My plan is, in order for you to be calm, to cure lycanthropy..' he said sarcastically. 'No! I'll find a way for you to feel more secure once a month. I'm kind of a genius, so it should be easy...'

'Oh, please... You have Quidditch practice... If you keep building up your ego like, I doubt that broom will lift one inch from the ground...' she said, dragging her laughing boyfriend through the corridors.

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The new day had arrived and Lily was growing more and more worried about the Full Moon and the fact that James had given her no sign of something to ease her worry. She couldn't even eat during breakfast.

'You're going to be sick...' James said to her, while she stared at her plate.

'Yeah... At least eat a fruit.' Said Mary.

'I'm not hungry.' Lily replied. 'Ignore me, alright... Look! Mail! Get your mail and ignore me...'

Mary and James shared a look and then shrugged it off. A beautiful white-and-grey owl flew over to them and gave them a small box that was addressed to the whole group. James gave the owl a small piece of fruit and the bird flew away.

'A box for all of us?' asked Emmeline. 'Weird...'

'Maybe it's from Lily's mum... She's so excited about the new boyfriend she sent the whole groupe a bunch of sweets...' said Hestia with a dreamy look on her face. Lily rolled her eyes.

'Mum would never do that... I am afraid, though, that she might come here and hug him til he's dead...' said Lily. James laughed.

'Just open it!' said Sirius. Mary, who was sitting next to him, picked up the box and opened it. There were eight invitations inside.

'Oh dear Merlin! I think they're invitations for Alice and Frank's wedding!' she said, taking the one with her name on it. The other girls squealed the took out theirs.

'This is great! It'll be in a week! Wow, so soon... Do you think Dumbledore will let us go?' asked Hestia.

'Hope so... I can't wait for them to get married... Alice and Frank are perfect for each other!' said Lily.

'Yeah... Besides, there'll be wedding cake!' said James and the other broke into laughter.

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'Who have you picked?' asked Sirius, while they walked to class.

'Picked for what?' asked Lily.

'Quidditch. Who have you picked?'

'Relax, Sirius... You'll find out soon enough.'

'You have no idea, have you?'

'Not a clue...'

'You have to pick someone! The game is in a few weeks!'

'I am aware of the date of the game, Sirius, thank you. I have two options for Chaser, but I'm definitely going for Claremont as Keeper. She's really good.' Said James. Lily lifter an eyebrow.

'How good?' she asked.

'Lily's jealous of the hot Quidditch player!' bellowed Hestia, attracting all eyes to her. Lily hit her head.

'Shut up! I'm not!'

'It's ok if you are, 'cause she's very fit...' said Sirius.

'Is she?' she turned to James, who gulped.

'I don't know for the only girl who catched my eye is you.' He said. Lily smiled.

'I'm glad.'

'Your balls should be glad.' whispered Sirius and the boys chuckled.

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'Time to go.' Said James, getting up from the perfectly good cocoon he and Lily were in and picking up his backpack that included the Map and he Cloak.

'You really have to? I still haven't heard a plan about how I'm not supposed to worry...' she said, stroking Sergio and crossing her legs on the sofa.

'Oh yeah! That!'

'You forgot!'

'No, I didn't! I didn;t forget... I forgot to give it to you...'

'Ok...'

He ran up the stairs and came down in ten seconds. He was holding a small box.

'I asked Professor Slughorn about Potions that work like that weird clock, you know? The one that tells you where your family members are and all that...'

'Ok...'

'So, he taught me one... I just got a hair of yours and one of mine, put in the potion and bathed this in it.' He said, opening the box, showing to silver bands. Two rings.

'Oh my...' she said, choking up.

'I was thinking maybe we could wear them and all... Then if something bad, really bad, happens to me, even in animal form, you'll feel it.' He said, shrugging. 'Same here, so then I don't have to worry about you and the Slytherins.'

'They are beautiful...' she said. 'It's like a promise ring!'

'A what?' he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

'Muggle couples have this thing called a promise ring... They wear them and they promise themselves for each other... It's kind of romantic that way, eh?'

'Ok... So, do you like it?'

Lily nodded and picked one up. She put it in the ring finger of her right hand. Then she picked the other one and did the same to James. They looked at each other and kissed briefly before he got up.

'Now I really have to go.'

'Ok... I am less worried now...'

'Good. I'll see you when I get back... Take care of her, Sergio.' He said, then gave her a peck on the lips, picked up his backpack and left.

Lily sat there, looking at her ring, and hoped that she wouldn't have to test it that night.

...

James arrived at the Great Entrance and saw Sirius and Peter already there.

'How's Lily?' asked Sirius in a whisper.

'Hopefully she'll be fine... I don't like her worrying about me like this.'

'Well, forget about that now. We have to focus.'

James then hid his bag where he always did and covered it with a charm so that no one would find it. He, Sirius and Peter got out of the Castle, walked a few feet and changed into their Animagi forms. Wormtail went first, pressing the knot on the Whimping Willow. Prongs and Padfoot followed him into the tree.

The moon quietly appeared in the sky and, as they arrived at the Shrieking Shack, they saw that Remus was about to transform.

Padfoot barked and Remus looked at them and gave them a small smile.

'Thanks, guys...' he whispered in pain. Then it began. He screamed and his body started to shift. His hands turned into claws and he began ripping his skins apart, giving room for the wolf fur. His screams slowly turned into howls and his friends couldn't look as they witnessed it.

A few minutes later it was done. An enourmous werewold stood before them. Padfoot barked again and ran out the door followed by Moony. Wormtail went right after and Prongs hesitated before following them as well.

...

'It works. So he's ok... It definitely works... He's fine. They're all fine. Yep. Fine. You know? I should sleep.' Lily muttered, pacing through her bedroom. Sergio was standing there, staring at her. She got on the bed and closed her eyes, then snapped them open and sighed. 'I can't bloody sleep! Dammit! This sucks! I have to read... At least do something... Oh, Merlin.'

She got up, picked a book and a piece of parchment and left. Firstly, she wrote a letter to her mum and read over it.

_Hey mum,_

_How's everything going? Here it's all fine... James is great, too, if you want to know. And he probably won't come to Christmas because of his Dad... I told you about his Mum, right? Anyway, that's probably why. I don't even want to ask... He always get a bit sad when he remembers his father is alone._

_Oh, well. How's Petunia doing? Did she enjoy her honeymoon with Vermin? Where did they go, anyway? Probabl somewhere dull. _

_Send her my love, though, because she's my sister and I still care about her even though she doesn't give a rat's arse about me. _

_Love you, Mum._

_Hug Dad for me, will you? _

_Always,_

_Lily_

She smiled and put the letter in a envelope, sealing it and borrowed James' owl to send it. Lily sighed again and sat on one of the comfy sofas. She got curled up and comfortable and opened her Transfigurations book. After a few minutes, she was able to focus her mind on the task at hand and forgot all about the boys. She fell asleep.

A few hours later, Lily woke up abruptly. She thought she'd felt something on her ring.

'No! I didn't feel anything. Stop that!' she said, getting up and walking around. She picked Sergio up and held him. The clock said it was two in the morning, so she decided to occupy herself by cleaning James' bedroom, which had been a mess the morning before.

Lily went up his staircase and got in his bedroom. It was spotless.

'No! Now i have nothing to do!' she whined. 'Maybe I'll be able to sleep on his bed.' Lily said, putting Sergio down and climbing on his bed.

'She knew he liked to sleep on the right side, so she went to the left side and shifted the pillows, so she'd have the James-smelling one.

Lily held onto it and sighed at the incredible smell that came out of it.

'Please be fine...' she whispered to the pillow, turning the ring on her right hand. But she couldn't fall sleep again for the life of her, so Lily decided to explore her boyfriend's room.

One thing she'd never noticed before was that there was a picture of her on his nightstand. It was a Muggle picture, so her smile was frozen.

Then she went into his wardrobe to see how h managed to have so many sweaters. She opened it and saw all of his clothes. His trousers, his shirts and his beloved sweaters. Lily giggled while remembering that day the year before when he almost killed Sirius for spilling pumpkin juice on his favourite blue sweater.

'Those boys...' she said, chuckling.

Then she moved to his bookcase and small desk. There was a little black book there.

'What is this?' she picke dit up and opened.

"The Lily Book" it said on the cover. Lily chuckled and read through it. It was a list of ways to ask her out, all of which had been used before their sixth year. There was a list of all the things he loved about her.

"_1- her smile_

_ 2- her eyes_

_ 3- her hair_

_ 4- her laugh_

_ 5- the way she snorts when she finds something really, really funny"_

And the list went on for at least two more pages. Lily smiled at it and moved on. That wasn't the only list. There were lists of how he liked her hair better and best reactions to him asking her out. Lily laughed with that one, that included the time she hexed him into the Lake in fourth year.

The end, though, was the part that almost left her to tears.

"My Future with Lily" it read, and she smiled.

'When did he write this?' she asked to herself, looking through that pages that had a little house drawn in them. Incredibly detailed and truly beautiful. There were also wedding cake drawings and she laughed as she remembered how much he loved wedding cake.

'Sergio... I'm not freaking out!' she said, looking at her cat. 'I'm reading my boyfriend's journal on how he wants to marry me and I 'm not freaking out! Oh my God... This is it, right? We're in this for the long haul... We'll be married and have babies and this house.' She pointed and the book and smiled. 'And that isn't scary because it's exactly what I want as well... Forever!'

Sergio meowed and climbed up James' bed. Lily put the small journal where she found it and hugged her cat.

'Sergio Potter, I'm falling in love with your Daddy...' she whispered.

...

James walked to the Heads Dorm limping. It was around four in the morning and he was in pain.

They left Remus there to be taken away by Poppy, making sure he was alright, and went back to the castle. James picked up his backpack and gave Sirius and Peter the Map while he got under the Cloak.

'Ouch...' he whined as he pressed the deep cut on his left arm. He said the password to the girl and walked in. 'Oh, good... She's probably asleep...' he sighed, smiling. He was relieved that Lily hadn't spent the whole night awake worrying about him.

He climbed up his stairs wincing. His whole body was full of bruises, but his arms were the worst because he fell in a hole while running with Moony and Padfoot and almost broke them. They were bleeding.

James opened his door to find a small lump breathing slowly on his bed. He limped closer to it to find Lily sleeping peacefully there. He smiled.

He then went to his bathroom to put his medicine and at least stop the bleeding. Then he cured his almost-broken arms with his wand. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do for the bruises, so he took a quick shower, brushed his teeth, put on his pajamas and went to his bed.

James pondered for awhile whether or not he should lie down next to Lily, but he figured he was in so much pain that his body wouldn't survided either the floor or carrying her to her bedroom; and his bed was very big, so it was alright. He climed the bed and laid next to her, falling sleep almost instantly.

Lily woke up suddenly. She looked at her watch and saw it was around five in the morning. Then she looked at her surroundings and saw James' bedroom.

'Right...' she whispered. She felt a slight shift next to her and turned to find James sleeping peacefully, with a small cut on his lip. She smiled at the sight of him and shifted her position in order to lay right next to him. Then she rested her heaad on his chest and held his hand.

'Goodnight, honey.' She said, breathing normally for the first time since he left.

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**N/A: That's one down! But worry not, as we have lots more to go! Please review! They make me happy! And when the author is happy, the characters are happy. Not really, but ok. I hope you liked this... I'm sorry it was a little late, but I overslept... Anyway! As I said, review and stay tuned for more! **

**Marauder-on! **


	26. The Longbottoms

**N/A: Hey-oh! Hope you enjoyed last chapter... Now on to the next... Hopefully you won't hate me for what I put in here... It's nothing bad, just good ol' girl drama, right? It's good... Healthy.I know we've had waaaay too much romance and Jily stuff lately, but you'll thank me later! Or not. I don't know. Oh, well, enjoy! **

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#26 – The Longbottoms

Since Lily had the big room, on the day of the wedding, they all decided to get ready there. Dumbledore had been very kind in letting them go on Saturday, probably because he, and most of the faculty in fact, had been invited as well. Mrs. Longbottom was very thorough with the invitations, according to Alice.

'We're looking fabulous! I hope we don't take the attention away from Alice...' said Hestia, looking at herself in Lily's huge mirror.

'Get over yourself, Hest... Alice will look gorgeous...' said Mary.

'We should get going. James said the guys would meet us here and it's almost time.' Lily said, looking at the clock on her nightstand.

'Wedding time!' Emmeline exclaime happily. The others laughed.

They did look very pretty. Mary was wearing a purple strapless one that was fitted in her bust and flowy until the knees. She also wore a silver necklace and a diamond bracelet she borrowed from Hestia. Emmeline was wearing a night-blue sleeveless dress. It was fitted at the waist and it fell right above her knees as well. She decided to go wiht no jewelry and very little make up, just a deep red lipstick and some mascara. Hestia had a burgundy strapless, knee-length dress that was fitted until right under her waist and it fell like a ballerina tutu. Lastly, Lily's dress was an a-lined strapped knee-lenght light grey chiffon dress that was empire waisted and had two layers of flowy material. She wore her hair up in a very structured bun and only had earrings on – although she did put her necklace in her bag.

The girls left the room after checking hair and make-up and met the boys downstairs.

James looked at Lily and his jaw dropped. She smiled.

'Do I clean up nice or what?' she said, getting chuckles. James approached her and pulled out his wand. 'What are you doing?'

'You look so pretty...' he said, waving his wand. 'I don't want to ruin you outfit...' then he gave her a very deep kiss and the others made 'ew' sounds.

'Get a room, will you?' Sirius said, covering his eyes.

'You're in it...' said a grumpy James, parting from Lily, but still holding onto her waist.

They left the Heads Dorm and went to Dumbledore's office.

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After the cerimony, there was a big reception for all the guests in the Longbottom house. Old Mrs. Longbottom looked very austere, overseeing the young guests. It was strange that she decided to pay extra attention to Sirius.

'Sorry, mate... Mum's a control freak.' Said Frank, approaching them and seeing the scared look on Sirius' face.

'It was a beautiful wedding, Frank... You guys are adorable!' said Mary, poking Sirius on he side. 'Could you cut it out. If you keep staring at her like you've done something wrong, she's going to think you actually did!'

'Fine, sorry.' Sirius pouted.

'Excuse me while I go find the girls...' she said, leaving them.

'Thanks for coming, guys...' said Frank, shaking their hands.

'We wouldn't miss it, man...' said James. 'Nice party, by the way...' he said, eyeing the large cake that sat on the corner of the room.

'Don't worry... We'll get to the cake soon...' Frank smiled and excused himself to go and see the other guests.

'So, Prongs, feeling it already?' asked Sirius, taking a sip of his Firewhisky

'What?'

'Come on... This is a wedding, you're with Lily... Future plans, perhaps?' said Remus, smiling.

'Too early for that... We've only been dating for a few weeks...'

'So?'

'So... I'd like her to be ready... Besides, I'm not going to ask her to marry me at school...' he said, rolling his eyes. 'Now that Frank's done it, it's rather lame... Besides, I've been having some ideas...'

'But she has to be ready...' sang Sirius.'

'Yeppers. Lily.' James said, sipping his beverage.

...

'Alice, you look astonishing!' said Lily, hugging the bride.

'Thank you! Thank you so much for coming as well...' Alice said. 'Cna you believe I'm Mrs. Longbottom now?' she squealed.

'Alice Longbottom...' said Mary. 'It certainly sounds good...'

'Plans for babies?' asked Emmeline, smirking.

Alice chuckled. 'Too soon, I'm afraid... But we do want babies! And Mrs. Longbottom would kill me if I didn't give her grandchildren...' she said, rolling her eyes. The girls laughed.

'Well, I'm going dancing, excuse me...' said Hestia, hugging Alice again and leaving to dance with Gwenog and Marlene.

'So, Lily... You and James?' said Alice, lifting an eyebrow. 'How did it happen?'

Lily smiled. 'I decided to stop being stubborn and he decided to stop being an idiot.'

'Of course...' she nodded. 'Is this going somewhere, though?'

Lily's smiled grew wider when she remembered James' journal.

'Yes. Definitely.'

...

Mary and Lily were sitting with their drinks, observing the happy couple dance slowly. As Frank Sinatra's voice echoed through the room, they swayed beautifully and looked into each other's eyes.

'Aren't they beautiful? I want that.' Said Mary. 'You know? Some one to love me like Frank loves Alice... Like James loves you...'

Lily chuckled.

'We're not quite there yet...' she said.

Mary snorted. 'Maybe you're not quite there yet.'

Lily looked at her. 'What do you mean?'

'Are you blind? Look at Frank.' She said, poiting at them again. 'That, Lily, is how James looks at you. Now, you may not love him yet, but he loves you. He's loved you forever.' Then she sighed. 'And I want some one to feel that way about me.'

Lily smiled. 'You'll find someone, Mary... You are beautiful and smart and funny. You will find someone who will love you the way you deserve, ok?'

The girls smiled at each other and began to watch the happy couple again.

James then approached them. He looked dashing in a brand new black suit and a silver tie that matched Lily's dress perfectly.

'Can I borrow my girlfriend for a dance?' he asked Mary, who nodded happily. Lily stood up and waved at her friend, then gave James a peck on the lips and they both went to dance. 'Have you any idea how breathtaking you look tonight?' he asked. Lily giggled.

'I don't look that pretty... Besides, I should worry... All the girls in the room are looking at my gorgeous boyfriend.'

'You don't have to worry because your gorgeous boyfriend only has eyes to his gorgeous girlfriend...' he smirked. As they slow-danced, Lily rested her head on his chest, just feeling his heartbeat. Their feet moved slowly and he began to stroke her waist with his thumbs.

Lily looked up. 'Mary is worried...'

'About what?'

'I think she wants a boyfriend... It's hard being single in a wedding...'

'She'll find someone... She's pretty and smart and funny... Mary's great.' He smiled.

'She is, right? I just hope she doesn't do anything stupid tonight.'

'Like what?'

Lily looked around for Mary, who had left their table. She was now talking to Sirius near the bar.

'Like that...'

'Relax. Sirius is not nearly drunk enough to mess around with one of your friends...' he said.

'Oh really?'

'Yeppers. The guy is scared shitless of you...' James laughed. Lily snorted.

'He's six feet two and he's scared of me? I'm a tiny little person!'

'You're a tiny little redhead who does mad things with the wand when angry.' They both laughed and he kissed her forehead. 'Let's just hope they don't act like stupid kids today.'

Lily sighed. 'Yep. Let's enjoy Frank and Alice's day...'

'They're the Longbottoms now... How odd...'

Lily laughed. 'It is...'

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'It was hilarious!' Remus finished telling his story and had Sirius, James, Peter and Lily laughing. They had sar down an hour before to eat cake and, because of James' cake-eating-disorder where he couldn't stop himself from eating more and more, they ended up just sitting and talking. Then a flustered Emmeline arrived.

'Lils, I need you now!' she said, pulling Lily up.

'What's going on?' Lily asked. The boys looked at Emmeline concernedly.

'Nothing big... Just, you know, girl drama... Your temper is needed.' She said.

'Do you need any of us?' asked James.

'Nope. I'm afraid any type of male would just make it worse. Come, come, Lils...' Emmeline dragged the confused redhead away.

They arrived in the Longbottom's lounge, where an angry Mary was sitting on the sofa with her back turned from a very mad-looking Hestia. They both also looked quite drunk.

'What seems to be the cause, Dr. Vance?' asked Lily, smiling. Emmeline chuckled.

'Well, apparenly, after being single and drunk, both decided they are madly in love with Sirius Black.' She explained. Lily gasped.

'I'm sorry?'

'Yes. And then Mary was dancing with Sirius a while ago, remember?' Lily nodded. 'So, Hestia saw that and got really mad, because she had also danced with Sirius... Three songs, I think... Never mind! Anyway, it was harmless, he didn't try anything with them, no kiss, no nothing... However, both drunken girls seemed to have found the love of their lives and are really angry at each other. So that's that.'

Lily rolled her eyes. 'Guys, talk to me...'

Both girls snapped their heads, got up and started to talk furiously at the same time, yelling and bellowing.

'One at a time!' Lily yelled. 'Emmeline and I are not babysitters! You are grown ladies who should be able to talk like adults!'

'Mary, you go.' Said Emmeline.

'I was dancing with him and felt it! We were meant for each other, Lily!'

'You are not! Shut up!' said Hestia.

'Of course we are! Besides his best friend is dating my best friend!'

'Lily is my best friend too!'

'Guys!' yelled Emmeline. 'Guys... Lily?'

'Look, Sirius is not looking for a relationship. He doesn't like relationships. He'd love to be friends with both of you and, when you're sober, you'll realise that is as much as you can ask for from him... He's Sirius Black. He's not a romantic...'

'But... but...' Mary started to weep. 'Lily!'

'I know it hurts now, but it's because you're drunk. Lie down here and we'll get you some water and it'll be alright...' said Lily. Emmeline nodded and conjured two glasses with water. She gave one for each and they drank madly, as if they hadn't seen water in ages.

'Good, good. Now go to the sofa and sit down with your head back.'

When they were both sat down and much, much calmer, Lily and Emmeline left the room and sighed.

'When did boys begin to matter so much?' asked Emmeline. 'They were almost punching each other!'

'I dunno... It sucks. Anyway, they'll probably be better in about an hour... But we should talk to Sirius...'

Emmeline nodded and they went looking for him.

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Sirius and Remus were over at the bar talking about some class they had that week when Emmeline and Lily went towards them.

'Hey guys...' said Emmeline. 'Remus, we need to talk to Sirius for a bit.'

'Ok... I'll take these to Prongs and Wormtail.' He smiled, getting the pints of Butterbeer and leaving.

'What's up?' Sirius asked.

'Remember the girl drama I told you about?' said Emmeline.

'Yeah...'

'It involved you.' Said Lily. 'Apparently our drunken friends have drunken crushes on you.'

'Ooooh... That's why they were acting to weird. I was dancing with Mary and Hestia came and dragged her out really violently...' he said. 'I just thought they were going to the ladies' room or something.'

'Well, we've talked to them now...' Emmeline began.

'But we think you should go and tell them that you don't want relationships.' Lily finished. Sirius nodded and downed his drink.

'Let's do this.'

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'This was painful...' said Lily, climbing out of her shoes while she and James entered their dorm. James was holding her bag and her coat and chuckled.

'I liked it... They even gave me cake to take away!' he said, smiling widely. He put Lily's things on the sofa and held her. 'But it sucked that I couldn't spend more time with you...'

Lily looked into his eyes and saw the look Mary told her about. She smiled sweetly at him and gave hima gentle kiss.

'The part that sucked the most was when I had to take care of my druken friends who had drunken crushes on your stupid friend.' She smirked.

'Glad to say I hung out with Pete while all that was going on...' he smiled.

'You should be more helpful with my friends...' Lily said with a frown.

'Are you gonna break up with me, then?' he asked smugly.

'Nope. But I am going to tickle you!' she said and his eyes went wide. He started to run real fast across the room being chased by Lily, who moved her fingers, wanting to tickle him. She got to him and they fell on the floor, Lily tickling his belly and James laughing and screaming.

'Stop!' he yelled. 'I'm so ticklish!'

She began to laugh and stopped. Lily fell from his stomach and laid next to him on the floor. They were now facing each other.

'Have I mentioned how gorgeous you look in that dress?' he asked. Lily smiled.

'Yes, but it's always good to hear.' he leaned in and kissed her. A few blissful minutes of kissing magnificence later, Lily pulled apart, her being right underneath James and him being almost shirtless. 'It's time to go to bed.' She said, getting up.

'Yep. I need a shower.' He said, clearing his throat.

'A cold shower.'

'Yeppers. Good night, love.' He kissed her on the cheek and went up his staircase.

'Good night!' she said. 'Such a dork...'

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As Lily entered the Great Hall the next morning, she saw the aftermath of her friends' quarrel.

'I am so sorry, Mary!' said Hestia for, judging by Emmeline's eye-roll, the hundreth time.

'No! It was me! Sorry!' replied Mary.

'Morning, girls...' said Lily sitting down and picking a muffin. 'I see you no longer hate each other's guts?'

'Nope. It was stupid! What was I thinking?' said Hestia, laughing. Lily saw that Mary gave a fake nod. She smiled.

'You too, right, Mary?'

'Hm. Yeah... Sirius? No way!' she said, clearing her throat and eating her eggs. Lily and Emmeline exchanged a look and went back to their plates.

'So, Lils? Did you and James get up to anything interesting last night?' asked Hestia with a smirk and a lifted eyebrow.

'No! Are you crazy? We've only been dating a few weeks. Besides, he told me he will wait as long as I feel it's necessary...'

'You've had this conversation already?' asked Mary, sounding surprised.

'We had to! Professor McGonagall had the talk with him! And he reported it to me...'

'That sounds horrifying!'

'Yep. Sirius still mocks James for it...' said Lily, chuckling.

'Poor boy...' said Hestia.

'Speaking of boys...' said Emmeline. 'Where are they?'

'Hm... James told me they were having breakfast at the Kitchens, then doing some Marauder stuff – nothing illegal or against the rules, I checked – and then they had Quidditch practice... Which sucks, because I was really looking forwards to spending some alone time with my boyfriend...' Lily rambled. The other three began to laugh. 'What?'

'You are soooo smitten!' said Hestia. 'It's too cute!'

'Oh, shut your trap, will you?'

'It's just good fun, Lils... Besides, having such a dreamy boyfriend has its perks, I assume?' said Mary, smiling.

'Oh yeah... The ego really helps...' said Lily sarcastically. 'But it was fun being the only girl allowed to dance with him last night... Especially with all those grupies.' Lily said.

'That's right! Take good care of your man!' said Hestia.

Lily rolled her eyes while her friends laughed.

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**N/A: Oh, you do hate me, right? I know it was too short, but I am trying to go for quality as opposed to quantity... Is it working? It's cute, right? This whole thing is cute... Right? Well, I can totally give you the title for the next yet-to-be-written-but-already-named chapter. It will be called 'November Rain' and it most definitely will be a sad chapter, sorry. So, yeah... That's what the "you'll thank me later" thing from before was all about. 'Til next time, fellow Limers!**

**Marauder-on!**


	27. November Rain

**N/A: Well, here it is, as promised, a rather sad chapter. I am thoroughly sorry for this, however it had to be done. That's how life works. Again, I am sorry. I hope you enjoy it, though. On to chapter 27!**

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#27 – November Rain

_James, _

_I'm glad to hear you enjoyed Halloween last night, but pulling a prank on the Slytherins is not a Head Boy thing. I am not disappointed, just… Oh, to hell with it… I loved it! Hilarious! Are their hair still blue? Please tell me some of them couldn't get rid of the teeth! I laughed so hard! _

_I also had fun yesterday. Alastor and Shacklebold came over to discuss some 'serious' matter, but I pulled the oldies on them. Kingsley and I almost fell out of our chairs when Alastor tried to find a Death Eater behind the fart pillow! Priceless! _

_Anyway, please keep seriou now because your N.E. are in May and I want my son to be a good Auror. And that means all Os this year, boy… You have to grab those Potions by the neck and kick the living hell out of them!_

_Send Lily a hug for me, ok? I hope she's still putting up with you, ha-ha. _

_Love,_

_Dad_

As James read his letter over breakfast, he couldn't help but start laughing. His friends looked at him with crooked eyebrows and he handed the letter over to Sirius, who also began laughing.

'What?' asked Lily.

'My Dad loved the prank we pulled last night…' he explained. 'He pulled some on Moody!'

'Your father pulled a prank on Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody?' asked Mary, reacher for the letter in Sirius' hands.

'Well, he did contribute to the birth of this creature…' said Hestia, pointing at James. 'I suppose it's in the genes…'

'Oh yeah… He was like Fabian and Gideon when he came to Hogwarts.' Said James.

'It's weird that Billius never caught up with them…' said Remus. 'It was probably Molly.'

'Oh, yeah… Oh, he send me a letter the other day that his nephew, Charlie, is definitely going to be play Quidditch when he comes to Hogwarts… The boy has talent!' said James, retrieving his letter from the little poke fight that had begun between Sirius and Mary.

'Cool…' said Remus.

'What about Bill?' asked Peter, in a mouthful.

James shrugged. 'I dunno… Apparently he liked his books, that boy. Molly, according to Billius, already thinks he'll be Head Boy…'

'Oh, that would be great! Bill Weasley, Head Boy!' said Lily cheerfully. 'My parents were so proud when I became Head Girl… It must be a greay feeling…'

'It's not like you're Prime Minister…' said Hestia. Lily stuck her tongue out and they laughed.

'ANYWAY!' bellowed Sirius as they all stood up to head to Transfiguration. 'We have a very important matter to discuss.'

'What is that, Padfoot?' asked James, who was holding Lily by the waist.

'Well, my birthday is in three weeks. My eighteenth birthday. You know what that means?'

'You are a lot closer to dying then the rest of us?' suggested Mary with a smirk. Sirius shoved her lightly.

'No, Mary.' He stuck his tongue out. 'PARTY!'

'Are you seriously going to throw a party for that?' asked Emmeline.

'It'll be a Sirius-party! Besides, it's our last year here! Let's make it memorable, alright?'

'Sounds great, Pads. You should totally do it.' Said James. 'Just no booze, ok?'

'Why?' asked Sirius. 'Why not?'

'Because it's against the rules, Sirius.' Said Lily. 'No alcohol in the premisses… Remembere what happened last time?'

'Fine! You two are a boring old couple!' he said, grabbing Remus and Peter. 'Let's leave the lovebirds alone!' and left. James and the girls were laughing behind them.

'Incorrigeble.' Lily said.

'Aren't they all?' Hestia smirked. 'But at least we'll have a part-ay!'

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

'Night and day… Lalalala…' Lily sang while she combed her hair that evening before bed. She was wearing her comfy flanel pajama bottoms and James' Quidditch jersey. 'Sergio, we still have some homework to do!' she said to the cat, who was playing with a toy mouse on the floor. He looked up and meowed. Lily giggled and left her room.

'Evening, dove.' She heard James say as she stepped on their Common Room. He was sitting on his desk, finishing an essay. Lily went up to him and hugged him from behind. 'Why so huggy?'

'Don't know. Just felt like hugging you.' She said, kissing him on the cheek.

'Are you wearing my jersey?'

'Yep. Stole it.'

'Fine, you can keep it… Only because you look really cute in it.' He said, smiling. 'Lucky you I have two. That was from fifth year… I got a new one for becoming Captain.'

'Makes sense… Also, you grew quite a lot…' she said. 'Well, I have work to do…' Lily went to her own desk and pulled out her books. They started to work in silence and, a few minutes later, they heard the door open. Lily and James stood up and exchanged worrying looks.

'Is everything alright, Professor?' asked James as Professor McGonagall entered with a grimace.

'I'm afraid not. Professor Dumbledore sent me.' She said, then turned to Lily. 'If you would follow me, Miss Evans.'

Lily's eyes grew wide. 'What happened?' she asked, tears threatening to fall.

'Please. Follow me.' The professor said, holding out her hand. Lily gave James a pleading look and he nodded.

'Can I come?' he asked.

'I think you should.' McGonagall said. The three of them left the Heads Dorm and went to Dumbledore's office.

Professor McGonagall, James and Lily entered the Headmaster's office. There was one chair in front of his desk. Lily sat on it while James and McGonagall stood behind her.

'Thank you, Minerva.' Said Dumbledore sadly. 'Miss Evans, I have just received news from your sister.'

'Petunia? She wrote you? What's happened?' she asked. James put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him, crying.

'There was an accident. Your parents were driving home from dinner and their car crashed.' He said. Lily looked at him silently. 'I'm afraid they didn't make it.'

Tears began to fall furiously down her cheeks. She covered her face with her hands and let out a cry.

'Mum and Dad?' she asked. 'My Mum and Dad? They are… d-dead?'

'I'm so sorry, Lily.' Said Dumbledore with a soothing voice.

'No! No!' she yelled, getting up. 'No! The bloody Death Eaters are killing Muggles and Muggleborns all around and my parents… My parents are killed in a car accident? NO!' she cried.

James went to her and held her. Lily cried in his arms for at least ten minutes. Dumbledore and McGonagall looked at them in pain. They saw how sad the girl felt. Lily cried and cried. Her eyes were bloodshot wet and her whole body was shaking. James held onto her, trying to calm her down.

'Sssh… Ssshh…' he mumured, trying to calm her down.

'They'r dead… dead…' she muttered. Then she lifted her head. 'How's Petunia?' she asked in a weak voice.

'She asked for you to go there. She and her husband are living in Little Whinging.' Dumbledore said. 'You can go by Floo now.'

Lily nodded. 'Ok.' She said. 'I have to go…' she looked at James. 'I can't do this alone…'

'You won't be alone. Ever. I'll stay with you… Ok?' he told her, glacning at Dumbledore, who nodded.

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As Lily came out of the fireplace in 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, she felt uncomfortable. The whole house felt like Petunia. It was clean and spotless. There were perfectly perpendicular photos of the wedding and the honeymoon.

'Lily?' Petunia asked, getting into the lounge. Her eyes were swollen and she was shaking as much as her sister. 'Oh, Lily…' she went and hugged Lily. James appeared on the fireplace and looked at the sisters.

'Tuney…' Lily whined. 'Tuney…'

'I know… I know… We'll be ok.' Petunia said, more to herself than to Lily. 'Who are you?' she asked, looking at James.

'This is James, my boyfriend.' Lily explained. 'He came to help me…'

'I'm sorry for your loss.' He said.

'Fine.' Petunia said, pursing her lips in probable annoyance. 'Come, we need tea.'

When the three of them entered the Dursleys' kitchen, they saw Vernon sitting with a mug of coffee.

'Vernon, my sister is here. She brought the boyfriend.' Petunia said, going to the kettle. 'Lily, James, do sit down.'

Lily and James sat next to each other in front of Vernon Dursley.

Vernon Dursley had a bushy moustache and no neck at all. Lily had only met him a couple of times, but she always thought that she'd much rather her sister married a walrus rather than that man… At least the animals were gentle and kind. Vernon Dursley was neither.

Petunia put a three cups of tea on the table and sat besides her husband. She pulled a handkerchief out of her sweater and wiped a few tears. Lily was still crying silently and James sat awkwardly.

'Hm. The funeral is set up for the day after tomorrow.' She said. 'I've phones everyone… You just have to be there.' Lily looked at her.

'What are you implying?' she asked.

'Well, while you were doing your freak stuff in that freak school, I was here, taking care of Mum and Dad's funeral arrangements.' Petunia said dryly. Lily's angry eyes shot daggers at her sister.

'I will not take the fault for being at school! It's like you're blaming me for their death, Petunia! What is wrong with you?'

Petunia got up and walked away. Lily glanced at James and followed her.

They got up the stairs and into the master bedroom.

'You know what was the last thing they told me? The last thing we talked about?' Petunia said, her voice angry and resented.

'No.'

'You! Always you! Perfect Lily… And your stupid boyfriend! And Christmas arrangements… Oh, Tuney… We can't come over for Christmas, because Lily-petal is bringing James! You should see him, so handsome! He's Head Boy… That, Lily, was the last conversation we had! About you!' Petunia bellowed. 'It's always about you! Ever since you got into that freak-show of a school!'

They were both crying and angry now.

'Well, the last time I saw them was at the train station! And it was the hastest of goodbyes because they were late for your wedding!' Lily said. 'But, Petunia, they loved us both the same. We were important to them in the same amount. We could stay here and blame each other forever or we can go to the funeral and pay our respects and saw our goodbyes. I don't want to deal with you anymore, Petunia.'

Petunia looked at her and nodded. 'Fine. But after the funeral, it's over.'

'What?'

'Mum and Dad were the only things keepinh us together, Lily. Without them, we are barely a family. And I have Vernon now. He doesn't approve of you.'

'So we're done, then?' Lily asked weakly. 'You hate me that much that our parents' death is a reason to pull apart?'

'I can't help it.' Petunia said. 'You two can sleep in the guest room tonight.' She finished and left the room. Lily sighed and followed her.

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After the funeral, Lily stood alone in front of her parents' tombstones. She got to her knees and conjured a bouquet of lilies. A tear fell down her cheek. The last tear she'd shed, Lily promised to herself. She could be sad forever, but no more tears.

'I'm going to miss you so, so much. You were everything to me…' she said, passing her fingers through her their names. 'I can't believe you won't see me graduate. You won't be there for when James propose to me… When we get married. Our children.' She got up and smiled. 'But you will be, won't you? I know you will. In spirit. I still pray, Mum. And I'll pray for you every night. I hope you're happy. I love you. And don't be mad at Petunia, she's just… Petunia. She misses you a lot, too. I have to go now. Goodbye, guys… I'll come visit.' She finished, walking away with her head down.

When she reached the little church and saw James and the rest of her friends. She gave them a weak smile and her boyfriend went to her, giving her a hug.

'How are you?' he asked.

'I'll survive.' She replied, hugging him back. 'We should go.'

'Can I just talk to them?' he asked, looking at Lily, who smiled.

'Yes, sure. I bet Mum would be very happy if you did.' She said, parting from him and going to the girls. He nodded left to where she'd come from.

'Hi, sweetheart.' Said Mary, hugging Lily. Then Mary and Emmeline joined in a group hug.

…

'Hey…' James said, approaching the tombstones. 'Just wanted to say it was very nice meeting you at the station. Also goodbye.' he frowned. 'I'll take care of her. I promise… I swear on my life that I'll take care of her.' He smiled and wiped his tears. Then James turned around and left to keep his promise. _I'm her family now_, he though.

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Lily Evans was sitting on her bed. She was staring out her window with a blank look. Sergio was meowing next to her, trying to her his owner's attention, but not succeeding.

There was knock on the door and James went in.

'Lils?' he asked, entering her room with a tray. He had brought her a sandwich and some juice. And a blueberry muffin, her favourite. Lily hadn't left her room in a week. 'I have food.'

She mumbled something but didn't turn.

'You have to eat, Lily.' He said, placing the tray on her desk and approaching her. He sat down next to Lily and held her hand. 'You're going to get sick.'

She looked at him and sighed. 'Ok.' She said. Lily got up and went to the tray. Only the muffin was eaten. James smiled.

'I know you like those.' He said. 'I've got your homework as well. Minnie said you can come back when you're ready.'

Lily nodded. 'Ok.'

James stood and placed himself in front of her. 'Lily, what are you thinking? I'm worried about you.'

She smiled, but it did not reach her eyes. 'I'm fine, James.'

He sighed, giving up for the day. 'Alright, then. I have to go to practice…' James gave her a peck on the lips and left.

In the Common Room, he found Sirius and Mary. They were sitting on each of the chairs next to the sofa and were staring into the fireplace. 'I should change that password.' Said James, trying to make a joke, but sounding as sad as he had ever since the funeral.

'How is she?' asked Mary, turning to see him. 'Has she eaten?'

'Only the muffin.' He said. 'Like always… No change.'

'She'll be fine… Right?' Sirius got up and hugged James. 'She'll be fine!' James patted him on the back.

'Thanks, mate. She will, I know she will. Lily's strong. She is just shocked…'

'Should I go upstairs?' asked Mary. 'I mean, I can see if she needs anything from me…'

'I think she'd like that.' Said James with a smile. 'Minnie is asking about her every day… I don't know what to do anymore. It just hurts so bad that there's nothing I can do to help!'

'People deal with pain in different ways, Prongs.' Said Sirius. 'Mary will take care of her, but we have to go.'

'Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Mary.'

'No problem.' She smiled and went up the stairs.

…

'Hey, Sergio? How's Lils?' Mary asked, walking into Lily's bedroom. Her friend was in the bathroom. 'Lils? Are you alright?' she asked, knocking into the bathroom door. It opened.

'I'm not killing myself, Mary.' She said, sounding upset.

'I never said you were.'

'Well, knocking on my bathroom door to see if I'm ok kinda shows that, doesn't it?'

'Sweetie, I'm so worried about you… You haven't been eating or going to school…'

'I just can't, Mary! I feel so sad all the time!' Lily cried. 'I promised myself I woulnd't cry, but it doesn't stop me from being sad…'

Mary sat on Lily's bed and picked up Sergio.

'If you left, maybe it would get your mind off things.'

'No. Ignoring my sorrow won't make it go away… I just have to… deal with it.' Lily said, sitting next to her friend. 'James hates me, doesn't he?'

Mary snorted. 'No. Quite the opposite. He's very worried, though. And he hates himself. For not being able to make you happy.'

'Nothing can make me happy now. I feel alone and sad… It's just… After their death and Petunia… I just… I have no family.'

'We're your family, Lils!' Mary said, putting the cat away and getting closer to Lily. 'We're here for you.'

'Yeah… It's not the same, though… I'm an orphan now.'

'Awn, sweetie.' Mary hugged Lily. 'You'll be fine.'

'Some day, yeah. Just not right now.'

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**N/A: Hello. Well, that's that. It wasn't as sad as I said, right? No crying, I hope. Til next one, fellow Limers!**

**Marauder-on!**


	28. The L Word

**N/A: I know you're all mad at me for being mean and the Grim… But do not fear, I think this little chapter will make you happy… Hopefully. Well, anyway! Enjoy!**

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#28 – The L Word

Sirius woke up that morning feeling the same. He opened his eyes and sighed.

'Well, that's a disappointment.' He got up and went to wash up. Sirius looked at himself in the mirror and smiled. 'Man, you are amazing!'

He showered and shaved, then left.

'Morning, birthday boy.' Said Remus in a sleepy voice.

'Good morning, Moony! Are you excited?' he asked, jumping on Remus' bed. Remus, however, did not seem as excited. He started to punch Sirius.

'Get out! Stop! Ah!'

'You're a bad friend! Wish me a happy birthday!'

'Fine! Happy birthday! Geez…' Remus got up and went to the bathroom.

'Happy birthday, Sirius!' said Peter from the lump on his bed.

'Thanks, Wormy! I have to go now… Lots of preparations!'

Sirius left the bedroom and went to the Common Room. He decided to throw the party there even though the had invited all the fifth, sixth and seventh years. Except for the Slytherins. No Slytherins. No matter how hot the girls were. No Slytherins.

'Hello, Sirius! Happy eighteenth!' said Mary from the sofas.

'Thanks, Mary.'

'You're still throwing the party, then?' she asked. Sirius knew what this was about. His friends were worried about Lily. He was worried about her as well, but that wasn't going to stop him from throwing himself a party.

'Yeah… I think we all need it right now. To improve morale, you know?' Mary chuckled.

'I agree! Do you need any help?' she asked, walking towards him.

Sirius shrugged. 'Ok. I'm going to take care of the food and drinks. Could you arrange decorations and stuff?'

'Yeah, sure! But don't you want to have breakfast first?'

'Oh, yeah! I forgot! I was just so excited!' he laughed.

'Oh, boy… Let's go, big fella.' She dragged him out of the Gryffindor Tower to the Great Hall. James was already there, sitting alone, eating a feeble bowl of cereal. Sirius and Mary exchanged a look.

'Hey, mate.' He said, sitting in front of James. Mary sat next to him and smiled.

'Hi, James, how are you doing?'

James smiled weakly. 'I'm fine… Happy birthday, Padfoot!'

'Thanks, mate. You're still coming, right?'

'Wouldn't miss it. I'm not if Lils is going to be there, though. She doesn't like to leave, just for class.' He said, looking down on his bowl and eating a spoonful.

'You should try and get her to come. It'll be good for her. You know? Listen to some music… Dance a bit. Talk to people…' said Mary. 'I'm afraid she'll rot in that room.'

James nodded. 'I'll talk to her, then…'

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Lily finished her shower and looked at herself in the mirror. She must have lost at lears four pounds and her hair was looking so weird. She was falling apart. The redhead sighed, pulling her wand and drying herself off.

She left the bathroom and changed into her sweats, which had become almost a uniform lately. It was bed, school, back to bed. Lily knew she had to get out and be around people, but she didn't feel like it and it sucked. She knew James was going to break up with her. How could he not? She was looking so ugly and had no appeal whatsoever anymore. She wasn't funny or cute, they didn't even have those little fights anymore. Lily was dragging him down and he was certainly going to dump her.

After a few minutes of sitting on her bed, staring into nowhere, she heard a knock on the door.

'Come in…' she said weakly. James' head poked out of the door frame, smiling sweetly.

'Hey, dove! How are you?' she shrugged. He entered the room and climbed her bed, sitting next to her. 'Sirius asked me to ask you if you're going tonight.'

'I dunno… I don't think so.'

'Sure?'

'Yeah… I'll just be a downer anyways…' she whispered. He gave a kiss on the cheek.

'You're no downer, shut up… Hey, you know what day it is, right?'

'Sirius' birthday?'

'Aaaaand..?'

'You lost me…' she grinned. James smiled widely.

'Two months…' he said. Lily's eyes went wide.

'I'm so sorry, I forgot! I didn't get you anything!'

'It's ok… I didn't get you anything either… With the whole heads business and Quidditch and homework, I barely have time to breathe lately, so no sweat. But I'd really love it if you'd come tonight and we could dance a bit.' He said, taking her hand and giving it a small kiss.

'Oh, honey… I'll try, ok? But I don't feel ready yet…' she said.

'Tis ok, my lady! For I'll wait the eternity!' he bellowed solemnly, making her laugh a bit. Then he stood up.

'Gotta go. Promised Padfoot I'd help him with the drinks…'

'Ok. Bye.'

'Bye, dove.'

When he left, lily sank under her linens. She hugged her pillow on top of her face and screamed into it.

'Why is he so perfect? It makes me feel so rubbish!' she said. Sergio climbed her bed and sat on her stomach. He meowed and she began to stroke his head. 'Daddy sucks, Serg… Who am I kidding? I suck… I'm the worst girlfriend ever… Bollocks.' She said angrily.

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The Gryffindor Common Room was packed. There were loads of people dancing to great music; there was great food; and there were really nice decorations.

'Great job, Mary.' Said Sirius.

'Thanks! Enjoying your party?' she asked. He nodded.

James appeared, looking very lonely without Lily by his side.

'She didn't want to come, then?' Sirius asked.

'She said she'd try later, but not now… Oh, well…' he shrugged. 'Great party!'

'Yeah!'

There were midnight blue bubbles flying all across the room and, when they popped, they yelled "SIRIUS ROCKS!" or "GO SIRIUS, GO" and those sort of things. Silver and black balloons were dancing all around the room as well. The ceiling was enchanted just like the one on the Great Hall, which was a last-minute decision made by James, since it had started to snow in the afternoon.

'The ceiling looks awesome, mate.' Said Remus, approaching the group. James smiled.

'It does, right? They kind of explain how it's done in Hogwarts: A History, so I decided to give it a go. But I'm afraid it will wear off by tomorrow morning.'

'Sad…' smiled Mary. 'Well, I'll go find the girls and dance! Excuse me…'

After she left, Remus and James stared at Sirius.

'What?'

'Are you planning on dancing with her tonight?' asked Remus.

'Why would I?'

'You've only been flirting with her ever since the wedding!' said James.

'I have not! We're just friends who became friends after our best friends became an item.' Sirius said, stuffing his chest. 'If you'll excuse me, I'm going to enjoy my birthday.'

Remus rolled his eyes. 'That idiot…'

James smiled. 'He'll come around.'

…

It was around ten when the party began getting a bit too wild. Sirius had managed to get a Muggle kareoke machine and was now singing _My Generation_ by The Who very loudly. He was actually a good singer and some of the girls were screaming at him as they would at Roger Daltrey. There were only Muggle songs and so they heard from Jackson 5 to the Beatles and Queen with _We Will Rock You_ and some more adventurous people trying out _Bohemian Rapsody_, in which every one present sang along in the weirdest of choirs. James was sittin in one of the sofas, just watching as the birthday boy danced with three girls at the same time. And they didn't mind, as long as it was Sirius. He couldn't help but wonder if he or Remus could ever pull that off.

'No, we could not.' Remus said, sitting down next to him.

'How did you-?'

'I was thinking the same thing…' he smirked. James chuckled.

'He is a dog…'

'Indeed.' Remus smiled, then his eyes went wide. 'Look.' He pointed at the door, where Mary and Emmeline were welcoming Lily. James stood up and made his way towards her. She was wearing a very pretty purple dress and her hair was tied in a ponytail.

'Hey… You came!' James said happily. Lily smiled weakly at him. 'I thought you'd like it if I came… And since I've been such a boring burden lately…'

He hugged her tight. 'You'll never be a burden… I like taking care of you. Makes me feel important and manly.'

Mary and Emmeline laughed. 'We'll leave you two to it…' said the former, draggin Emmeline away.

'Wanna dance?' asked James. 'You missed a very funny performance of Bohemian Rapsody, but we could always ask for an encore…'

Lily smiled. 'Maybe later… Where's Sirius? I want to wish him a happy birthday?'

They went to find the birthday boy, who was now talking to Remus next to the bar.

'Look who's here!' he yelled, giving Lily a bear hug and spinning her off her feet. 'I'm so glad you came!'

'And miss your birthday? Never!' she smiled. 'Happy eighteenth, by the way… I didn't get you anything, but I can send you positive thoughts…'

'Thank you! I like those…' he smiled. 'Now go make Prongs happy and dance with him… He's been really down lately, what with you being all sad and all that.'

'Really? I didn't mean to—'

'I know you didn't, but he cares about you very much and, well, I don't really know how that works, so let's just say he "feels your pain"…'

Lily chuckled. 'Alright, Sirius… I'll go find my boyfriend.'

They hugged again and she went to James, who had stayed behind to talk to Harrison. She poked him lightly on the side and he turned to see her. 'Can we go to the balcony?' she asked. He nodded and they went.

The balcony was beautiful. Candle lit and white with snow. Lily shivered when they got out of the Common Room, so James took off his jacket and gave it to her.

'No, keep it.. You'll be cold.'

'You're more important…' he smiled. Lily looked at him and sniffed.

'Thank you.' She said in a crying voice, then gave him a hug.

'I thought you weren't crying anymore.'

'These are happy tears… Because you are great and I'm so lucky you picked me.' She said, looking at him and wiping the tears on the sleeve of his jacket. He cupped her face.

'I didn't pick you… You were just there and that was it.' He said, smiling and pulling her for a kiss. They stayed that way for a few minutes. Kissing. Lily smiled as she felt everything fade away as she melted in James' arms. Then they parted and just held each other, keeping warm and comfortable.

'James?'

'Yeah?'

Lily looked up into his hazel eyes. 'I love you.' She said, smiling.

James' eyes grew wide and his mouth opened. Then closed and formed a huge grin.

'You do?'

She nodded.

James held her tight and kissed her. 'You know I love you too, right? Like, more than anything ever…'

She giggled. 'Yeah… I'm sorry it took so long for me to say it…'

'No, don't be… As long as you meant it, I didn't mind if it took you two years…' he said, grinning broadly. Lily smiled as well.

'Thank you!' she held him. 'Thank you for being there for me… You could've just walked away and ignored the mess I was in after the accident, but you stayed and took care of me and made me better… And I can honestly say that I love you and I want to be with you.'

'Good, cause I'm in this for the long haul.'

'Yey!' she said. James laughed and they high-fived. 'Go Jily!'

'Jily?' he asked with a crooked eyebrow.

'Yeah… Hestia said that's how people refer to us…' she smiled. 'It's kinda cute.'

James laughed more. 'So lame…'

'Lames!'

'Shut up…'

Lily began to laugh. She couldn't stop and, frankly, she didn't want to because it was the first time in weeks that she actually felt help.

'Are you ok?' asked James after she was out of breath from laughing too hard. She nodded.

'I'm just tired. Of being sad.' She said. 'I want to let it go… Move on, you know?'

He nodded. 'Yeah… It's hard. But I have the perfect medicine!'

'Laughter?'

'No, you've done that already…' he smirked. 'Dancing goofily to hat lame arse Bee Gees song!' Lily giggled and followed him inside the Common Room, where everyone was doing disco moves and laughing and smiling.

'Lily, how are you?' asked Hestia when she, Mary and Emmeline approached the couple.

'I'm better.' She said sincerely. 'Not a hundred per cent, but I'll get there…' Lily smiled.

'Awesome! That deserves a dance!' said Mary.

'I think James should get one first…' said Emmeline. James smiled and nodded at her, draggin a giggly Lily to the dancefloor.

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'Say it again.'

'I love you.' Lily said, smiling as she and James entered their dorm.

'Didn't quite catch that…' he smirked.

'I. Love. Your. Highness.' She said, rolling her eyes. James laughed.

'Good. Because I love your shortness.'

'Shut up! You're no fun!'

'I am very fun…' he said, holding her from the back and kissing her neck. 'I missed you.'

'I missed me, too. This afternoon after you came in, I was feeling just so tired… I though you'd break up with me for being so dull…'

'Hey…' he said sternly, turning her to face him. 'I'd never do that, in a million years. I'm going to take care of you from now on.'

Lily nodded. 'You're my family, James' she whispered. 'You're all I have now…'

He held her and stroked her hair. 'I love you, Evans.'

She grinned. 'Can I sleep in your bed tonight?' she asked giving him puppy eyes.

'Why?'

'Mine is just so sad and I'm really sick of looking at it…'

He chuckled.

'Fine, but no frisky business. I have Quidditch in a week… We're getting up at six tomorrow to practice.'

'It's one now, James…'

'I know… He decided to throw the party, not my fault.' He shrugged. Lily laughed.

'Alright. What kind of frisky business did you mean?'

'You know… Anything Minnie wouldn't approve of…'

'OH! Gross, James! Disgusting! Nope. Ew.' She said, climbing her staircase.

'Where are you going? Gave up on me?' he asked, following her.

'No! I'm going to change, James…'

'Right. Need company?'

'GET OUT!' she laughed, throwing a pillow at him, picking up her pajamas and heading to the bathroom to change.

'I'll be waiting for you, my dove.'

'Ok, honey… Take Sergio with you!'

'Will do!' he picked up the cat and went to his own bedroom, grinning widely.

'Mama's back, Serg… We have to celebrate…' he said, smiling and twisting the finger on his right finger. 'I'll get her a present tomorrow.'

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**N/A: Hey, Limers! Happy chapter, how about that? I know it's a little shorter than usual, but I was going for drabble cuteness ^^ Delivered? Hopefully the first time they said the "l" word was special enough… Is has to be, right? Or have I just been watching waaaay too much Friends? Anyway, see you next time… Chapter 29 will be called "Is that a Gazelle?"… Can you guess what it's about? The guesser gets a happy mention and no prize at all! Awesome competition, eh? Til then, Marauder-on! **


	29. Is that a Gazelle?

**N/A: Hey-oh, Limers! Back for the twenty-ninth! Woo-hooo! Special congrats here to alwaysapotter for guessing what this chapter was about! Kudos! And a special thanks to all of you who wirte the most amazing reviews, because they make me really happy and really inspire me – now on to the chapter because it's getting to sappy! Tweny ninth! Go! Go! Go!**

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#29 – Is that a Gazelle?

That had been a tough day for James. He lay on his bed, barely keeping his eyes open as he remembered how good it felt to win the Quidditch match against Slytherin and remain undefeated again this season. He smiled slightly and shut his eyes, going into deep sleep.

James woke up that Sunday morning feeling well-rested and energised. He even sang in the shower. He brushed his teeth, shaved, put on comfortably warm clothes, woke the cat up and went downstairs to find his beautiful girlfriend sitting in front of the fire, still wearing her raindeer'ed flanel pajamas, reading a Muggle book. He smiled and sat next to her, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

'Morning, dove.' He said.

'Why do cheerful, honey?' she asked, keeping her eyes on the book.

James shrugged. 'Dunno. Woke up that way. Reckon I'm still excited about yesterday.'

'Probably.' She looked at him. 'You're ready for breakfast? And you showered! It's still seven...'

'Oopsie...' he chuckled. 'Then I'll hang out with you...'

'Actually, I do need to shower. But I'll meet you here in half an hour then we can go, alright?' James sighed.

'Yeah... fine...'

'Great. Love you.'

'Love you, too.'

James smiled again. It felt wonderful to be able to finally say those words to her and have them said back. He felt that way about Lily for ages, but having her feeling the same way about him and actually saying it was a great feeling and actually made him trust their bond. They got a lot closer afte the accident and it felt like they'd been dating for years instead of only two months. He loved that feeling. He loved that relationship. He loved, more than anything else, that girl.

Apparently, his thinking took a lot more time than he thought it would, because when he knew it, Lily was coming down the stairs wearing fitted jeans, a cozy long-sleeved T-shirt and carrying a sweatshirt. James grinned as he always did when he saw his necklace around her neck.

'Ready?'he asked. She nodded.

'Look!' she said, showing him the locket. 'I put a picture of my parents inside...'

He opened it and saw the ginger couple smiling still. A Muggle picture, obviously. They looked so happy and it made James smile.

'Good memories?' he asked. She smiled back.

'Yes... Great memories, actually. They were nineteen when this was taken. They had been dating for a year... Met in Uni, you see?'

'Yeah... You look a lot like her...'

'Thanks... I get that a lot. But I have my Dad's temper...' she laughed.

James' eyes went wide. 'I don't want to picture him angry.'

'He almost never got angry, though... But when he did... Hulk!'

They both laughed and left for breakfast, holding hands.

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'Who's staying for Christmas this year?' asked Hestia, eating a strawberry from her fruit salad. Lily, Mary, Emmeline and Remus raised their hands. 'Yey...' she said unexcitedly.

'Hm...' James cleared his throat and everyone looked at him. 'Actually, I was kinda thinking we could, you know, go to my house... It would be fun and I think Dad would like the house to be full this Christmas...' he said.

'Really?' asked Lily.

'Yeah... Unless you guys don't want to. Then it's fine... Just a suggestion...'

'Are you kidding! Where would i rather spend my Christmas? At the Potter Mansion in Kensington, London, or my stupid dorm in bloody Hogwarts having dinner with the faculty? I'd love to go!' said Hestia. 'And Mary, Em and Remus are really excited as well!'

'Great! It's settled then. I'll go write to Dad.' James said happily, standing up. 'I'll see you guys later.'

'Thanks...' said Sirius. 'I was thinking Christmas was going to suck this year.'

'It wouldn't...' said Remus. 'James told me he got you an awesome gift.'

Sirus' eyes went wide. 'What is it?'

Remus shrugged. 'I dunno. But I reckon it's pretty good.'

'Damn! I hate secrets.'

'Yey!' bellowed Hestia. 'Christmas in London!'

'You know what that means, right?' asked Emmeline.

'HARRODS!' yelled Mary, happily. Lily and the boys laughed.

'Harrods?' she asked. 'Everything's so expensive there...'

'Yeah... But your boyfriend is loaded... I'd take advantage of that if I were you.' Said Hestia. Lily rolled her eyes.

'I'll be happy with anything he gets me.'

'Yeah... But he got her a golden necklace when they were friends...' said Remus. 'He'll probably buy her an island now that they're dating.'

They all laughed, including Lily, although she really did love that he was so considerate and passionate. However, she hoped he didn't get her anything too expensive because she knew she couldn't afford anything like that for him.

'Don't worry, Mrs. Potter...' said Sirius. He had taken to calling her that now. Mary called James Mr. Evans in return. 'Even if he does get you something over-the-top expensive, he'll be over the moon if you get him but a pencil... As long as you stay with him, alright?' he smiled. Lily smiled in return.

'I know... But I'd feel so bad.'

'Don't worry. Why don't you make him mittens to match that cute little sweater from last year?' suggested Mary. 'Mr. Evans grew a few inches as well, maybe you could make him another one!'

Lily chuckled. 'We'll see...' she said, but, in fact, she already had a pretty good idea for a present.

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'I'm BORED!' bellowed Sirius as the eight of them were hanging out in the Gryffindor Common Room.

'Seriously? Because I hadn't caught it when you said the same thing two bloody seconds ago!' James said, rolling his eyes. He was sitting on the floor with his head on Lily's lap while she played with his hair.

'Well, I'm sorry... But I am! Let's do something! If the two of you hadn't gotten soft, we would be pranking some first years right now.'

'You're eighteen now, man... Do you really want to go and prank eleven-year-olds?' asked Remus from behind the book he was reading. The girls had been talking about Harrods still. First because Hestia loved it, and second because it really was interesting to picture yourself lost in the beautiful corridors filled with pretty things and good-smelling things.

'What do you want to do, besides hexing the underaged, Sirius?' asked Lily, using a tone that would probably be used by a slightly annoyed mother.

'I dunno...'

'I KNOW!' bellowed Mary. 'You see, I've been practicing my Patronus Charm! I think I can get a full shape now!' she said.

'You have?' asked Remus.

'We all have, actually... We figured it'd be useful for the N.E... Plus, I really wanted to see my shape!' Emmeline said. Hestia and Lily nodded.

'Ok, Mary. Show us your awesome Patronus.' Said James.

Mary stood up and got her want. She said "Expecto Patronum" and a weird silvery blobby shape came out of it. She said it again and again and, in the forth try, a full-shaped silver badger came out looking very proud.

'CUTE!' said Hestia, scaring Mary, and then the Patronus was gone. 'I love badgers!'

'They really are cute! So lucky you got a cutey cutey!' said Emmelime, stading up and getting her own wand. 'My turn now! Expecto Patronum!' nothing.

'Take your time...' said Remus. She nodded and had to say the spell six times before the large goat appeared. Sirius started to laugh.

'It's a goat! Baaaaaa!'

'Shut up, Sirius! Goats are very intelligent and loyal animals! Emmeline's lucky to have one!' said Lily, hugging Emmeline, who was beaming with pride.

'Yeah, Black... And goats don't lick their own balls.' Hestia said. James, Peter and Remus began to laugh really loudly and Sirius frowned. 'My turn now! Lily can go last!'

'Why?'

'Cause you're Head Girl and you have the perfect boyfriend... Let us have something!' said Hestia, faking drama. 'Here I go!' she said the spell twice and a beautiful silver eagle came out of ther wand, flying all around the room. The boys looked at it in awe while Hestia took up a pompous poise. 'Am I awesome or what?'

'Cool bird, Hest!' said Emmeline. Mary and Lily nodded.

'Pretty cool!' said Mary.

'Very cool.' Said Lily. Hestia chuckled and shoved Lily.

'You now.'

'Ok!' said the redhead, picking up her wand and clearing her throat. She looked at James who smiled and nodded. 'Expecto Patronum!' she said. Apparently her memory wasn't good enough, so she thought of James. About their times together and everything he made her feel. She thought of the ring. That had it. 'Expecto Patronum!' she said again and a large silver creature appeared in front of her. Then it started to jump happily around the room. She didn't know what it was, though.

'What is that?' Emmeline asked.

'Is that a gazelle?' asked James, looking at it closely. 'Cause it looks like a gazelle.' Remus snorted and all eyes went to him. He cleared his throat.

'It's not a gazelle, James... It's a doe.'

'A doe?' asked Lily.

'HOW ROMANTIC! YOUR PATRONUSES MATCH!' squealed Hestia.

'That's awesome!' said James. 'Maybe we could send them on a date!' he laughed. Lily giggled.

'It is pretty cool. Wow. They actually match. How weird.' She said.

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'Great news! Dad said he'd love to have you all there!' James said during their free period on Monday. 'So, in two weeks, we'll be going to London!'

'Awesome!' said Sirius. 'Par-tay!'

'Do you have enough bedrooms, though?' asked Emmeline.

Remus snorted. 'We'll be comfortable enough.'

'You can share a bedroom... Unless you want your own...' James said, rubbing his neck. 'There are only four with en suite bathrooms, though, and Moony normally gets the fourth one. But the other ones have a shared bathroom.'

'We'll survive, James...' said Lily, hugging his waist. 'As long as we have a bed to sleep on.' She gave him a kiss on the cheek.

'Cool. It'll be great! I can't wait to show you Mum's garden!' he said, excitedly. 'And our library! You'll love it! Oh, I have to go now... Bye, love you. Not all of you, just Lily. Bye.' He then left skipping, leaving his laughing friends behind.

'They have a library?' asked Mary, crooking an eyebrow.

'Yes...' said Sirius. 'It's a big house... It's no Malfoy Mannor, though... Although that place does give me the creeps...'

'You've been there?' asked Remus.

'I had to go to Narcisa's wedding... The reception was there. Worst. Night. Ever.' He said, rolling his eyes. 'Especially with Bellatrix saying how amazing it was that her sister was finally a Malfoy, bla bla bla. Shite, if you ask me. She didn't even invite Dromeda! Now that is bullshit.'

Remus patted his shoulder. 'Wow, the whole Black family without supposrt from Dromeda? Must've been awful...'

'It was alright for her, though... She'd have to take Nymphadora and that is just too much for such a small child to endure...'

'Who's Nymphadora?' asked Hestia.

'Dromeda's little girl. She's a Metamorphomagus, you know...' Sirius said, smiling. 'When I met her, she had her hair bubblegum pink. Ted said that was her favourite colour.'

'That's cute.' Lily said. 'Sorry about your family, though.'

'It's fine. They're bunch of jerks anyway.' Sirius shrugged. 'So! Are you going Christmas shopping at Harrods, then?'

'No! Oxford Street, maybe, but none of us can actually afford Harrods.' Said Emmeline.

'I told you, Lily, ask James—'

'I'm not going to do that! I'm not a gold digger, Hest... Besides, the way he's confused and crazy, he'd probably get lost in there anyway...'

'Oh yeah! Prongs would definitely get lost in there...' said Remus. Peter, who was sitting there eating cakes, nodded happily.

'We would love to get lost in the food section!' he said.

'So true!' said Sirius. 'So we're going too!'

Hestia rolled her eyes. 'No, you're not! It's girls outing, no guys allowed!'

'YAWN! You guys are boring!' said Sirius.

'What else are you planning for London?' asked Remus. 'And why can't you go, Peter?'

'Mum and I are spending the holidays with some family in Spain.' He said. 'Grams will be there and you know how much I love her food.'

'It is good food.' Agreed Sirius. 'But you'll miss on the fun, mate.'

'I'm thinking: shopping spree, musicals and ice skiing!' said Mary.

'Sounds great...' said Lily. 'Take the edge off and relax for the N.E...'

'Also get your mind off things, right, Lil?' asked Mary, giving Lily a meaningful look. Lily sighed and agreed.

'Where did James go?' asked Hestia.

'He needed to talk to Professor McGonagall... Didn't tell me what about...' Lily replied. 'Probably exams.'

'Right. He's probably wondering if he can get one that actually challenges his brain instead of what us monkeys take.' Hestia rolled her eyes.

'Hey! I'm just as smart and he is!' said Lily, Remus and Sirius in unison. The others laughed.

'Yes, yes your are, sweethearts.' Said Mary, patting them each on the head.

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'Come in.' Said Professor McGonagall after James knocked on her door. He went it and waved at her. 'Hello, Mr. Potter. Please, take a seat.' And so he did. An awkward silence fell. 'Are you planning on telling me what do you want to talk about or did you come here to stare at me?'

'Right.' He cleared his throat. 'I need to talk to you about, hm, future prospects.'

'Yes?'

'Remember in fifth year and last year, I told you I wanted to be an Auror and stuff?' he asked. She nodded and motioned for him to go on. 'So, I was thinking about it regarding the Order – yeah, Dumbledore told us about that – and wanted to know how... I don't know, how can I join and if I can join...'

'Well, you see, that is very serious decision to be made, James.' She said. McGonagall usually called him by his first name when she was worried about him, much like Dumbledore. 'Working for the Order is dangerous...'

'Yeah, but... Look, Lily is a Muggleborn, right? And I have to do something about those Nazi people because it's driving me mad that he hates people like her and Muggles... I feel powerless.'

The professor nodded. 'I understand. Look, Auror training takes four years. However, I think Moody is going to be giving faster trainings for those who want to join the Order since we need more members...'

'Ok! That's great!'

'I have to check up on that, but you should talk to the Headmaster about it. And you must get all Os in your N.E. in order to skip the training. Moody won't let you in unless you have potential. Which I do think you have, Potter.'

He smiled widely. 'Great! Lily's been helping me with Potions, so that's good.' He stood up. 'Thank you, Minnie.'

'Goodbye, Potter.' She rolled her eyes but he saw her mouth twitch and she almost broke into a smirk.

'Bye!'

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'So excited!' said Emmeline when they were getting out of the train and into Platform 9 ¾.

'Yeah! It'll be a very Potter Christmas!' said Mary, smirking. 'We'll destroy your little mansion, Mr. Evans.'

'Thank you for that, Mary, you don't scare me at all. You are a normal person and I will not sleep with one eye open for as long as you are in my house.' James said, using a giggly Lily as a shield between him and Mary. He heard a throat clearing behind him and saw his smirking father standing there with a crooked eyebrow.

'Hello, kids!' he said. 'I'm glad I raised such a brave boy.'

'Hey, Dad!' James said, hugging his father. Then Sirius hugged him. Harold Potter looked at Lily and smiled.

'James' girlfriend. The Lily Evans.'

'_The_ Lily Evans?' asked Hestia. 'Hm, sorry. Hestia Jones.' She introduced herself.

'Yes. It's the Lily Evans... Lizzie used to say she already knew Lily because James talked so much about her in letters and during holidays... Quite funny, really...' he smiled and Lily did as well, holding James' hand. 'And of course you are! You look just like your mother! And I know your father, you see. Worked with him in the Ministry. Now, kids, let's go because I'm double parked.'

'You got a car?' asked James.

'Yes! I didn't tell you? It's a great car, too! Muggles call it a "mini-van", quite a funny name. There's nothing mini about it.'

'I thought we were going to Apparate.'

'Nah! Let's see London!' said Mr. Potter. The girls all grinned, partly because they wanted to see London, but mostly because Mr. Potter was just as charming as James and he gave that Potter-smile that made girls swoon. Lily rolled her eyes at that.

'Seriously?' she asked.

'You date the boy, you're immunised from the smile!' whispered Emmeline. 'And with his father it's like it's permanent!'

'It's the grey hair...' said Hestia. 'Men with grey hair have this weird charm... You know? Humphrey Boggart types.'

Lily chuckled and shook her head.

'Get in, get in! We're going to Kesington!' Mr. Potter said and they all cheered. He chuckled and go in the front seat while James got in the passenger's seat.

'Do we have any food?' he asked.

'We always have food, son. We always have food.'

'AWESOME!' said Sirius, punching the air and they left the parking space.

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**N/A: Hey-oh! Next chapter will be X-mas and I do have a cool surprise for you lot! Hehehe... Won't tell you what it is, though... But it sure is good! Til then, Marauder-on!**


	30. A Very Potter Christmas

**N/A: Hello! Ready for this? It's my oh-so-very-special X-mas chapter! Yey! Hope you enjoy it... Remember to review!**

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#30 – A Very Potter Christmas

_Oh boy, I'm in heaven_, Lily thought as she slowly woke up that morning. _It's as if this bed is made of clouds... I don't want to wake up!_, she closed her eyes trying to force herself to sleep again, but she couldn't anymore. Her green eyes explored her surroundings and she found herself in a very fancy guest bedroom. She was lying in the most comfortable queen sized bed in the world and had four pillows around her. Her duvet was made of egyptian cotton and Lily knew she'd never get over how smooth and warm it was. The walls were peach coloured and gave the room a sense of warm coziness that normally lacked in guest bedrooms. All the furniture was made of oak, including her nightstand, which had her watch and a crystal glass filled with water on top of it. A crystal glass. For water. Lily laughed at the thought.

She knew James' family was rich and all that, but she never realised that they were _rich_ until they arrived at the house. If only it could be called a house. It had loads of bedrooms – she felt that it would be rude to ask – and a beautiful garden, a library, which was also a study, the kitchen and there were two bathrooms downstairs. The lounge had a telly which Lily found really funny given that the Potters were a traditional pure-blood family. But apparently, according to James, Arthur Weasley from the Muggle Artefacts department in the Ministry made the Muggle "stuff" sound very interesting for Mr. Potter, who rushed to get as many as he could. Hence the car. Mini van!

Lily got up and actually had to jump out of bed because it was very tall. She brushed her hair and tied it in a ponytail. She looked at herself in the mirror and lifter an eyebrow. She wondered if she had to change for breakfast. Lily was wearing flanel capri pajama bottoms and James' Quidditch jersey. She shrugged and left went to the door next to the wardrobe which led to the joint bathroom she shared with Mary. Her friend was in there brushing her teeth, looking very sleepy and wearing her vibrant orange robe.

'Morning...' said Lily. Mary nodded and waved, her mouth filled with toothpaste. Lily grabbed her toothbrush and began the morning ritual. Brush, rinse, wash face, put face cream and moisturizer, check for spots and finish.

'Ready to go?' asked Mary, finishing doing her morning hair bun.

'Hm, yeah... Are you going downstairs with that robe?' Lily asked.

'I'm wearing tiny pajamas, what can I do?'

'Put on a T-shirt and sweat pants or something...'

Mary sighed and went to her bedroom. She came back a minute later wearing a Paris souvernir T-shirt and purple sweats.

'Perfect!' said Lily.

'Lily, why are you wearing mismatched socks?' asked Mary, crooking an eyebrow. Lily rubbed her neck and smiled.

'I guess it's James' influence... He wears them like this and I kinda picked it up...'

Mary rolled her eyes and the girls left for breakfast. Lily's room was adjecent to James', which Hestia found really funny and ironic and made Sirius smirk. And Sirius' bedroom was next to James', so the girls ran into him when they were leaving.

'Morning, Sirius!' said Mary happily. Sirius smiled at them.

'Hello. How did you girls sleep?'

'You're kidding? I didn't want to wake up... Heavenly pillows!' said Lily. Mary nodded in agreement. Are we the first to wake up?'

'We're never the first to wake up in the Potter household. You see...' he began to explain while he and the girls went down the stairs. 'James wakes up at six, which is too damn early for me, and Harold wakes up even earlier than that, at five thirty. Apparently, they need their "morning jog" or whatever it is that they do. And since it's eight, they're probably back already.'

'Even during Christmas?' asked Mary, crooking an eyebrow.

'Even during Christmas.'

They arrived at the kitchen and found the table set with all kinds of delicious food.

'Oh, dear... That looks delicious!' Lily said.

'Hey, Pinky!' said Sirius to the small elf that smiled them.

'Good morning, Master Sirius, Misses... Pinky has made breakbast but she did not know what do make so she made everything...'

'That's wonderful, Pinky. Thank you.' Said Lily and the little elf smiled widely. She had a large bow on the top of her head and was wearing a ragedy baby T-shirt and doll shoes. 'You look very pretty today.'

'You really do!' said Mary. 'Love your bow!'

The elf blushed and the trio sat to eat. Mr Potter appeared on the threshold looking very lively. 'Morning!' he said, taking his usual seat.

'Good jog?'

'Yeah. Great. I am starving! It all looks delicious, Pinky. You're forcing me to give you a raise!' he said smiling to the elf.

'I do it because I love the family, Master. No raise necessary.' She said, leaving the kitchen to clean something.

'Great elf, that one...' said Mr. Potter. 'Lizzie loved her.'

Remus, Emmeline and Hestia walked in next followed by James. His hair was damp and he was just wearing a white T-shirt and blue sweatpants. _He looks good_, Lily thought.

'Hello, everybody!' said James.

After breakfast, the girls all gathered to go upstairs and change.

'Where are you going today, ladies?' asked Sirius.

'HARRODS!' exclaimed Hestia happily. Emmeline giggled.

'Christmas shopping, actually...'

'Sounds fun.' Said Remus sarcastically. Emmeline shoved him.

'It will be! You're all getting Muggle gifts!'

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'Can you believe that house?' asked Hestia. The girls were getting out of the undeground Knightsbridge station. Mary and Lily led the way. 'Seriously, it's awesome!'

'Yep. Isn't it surreal that two years ago we had absolutely no idea that we'd be at James Potter's house now?' said Mary. The others nodded.

'Or that Lily would be dating him...' Emmeline said.

'Nope. I knew.' Said Hestia. 'I knew you've always liked him, Lils...'

'Can we not?' said Lily smiling. 'Let's just go to Harrods and look around, then walk to Oxford Street and buy the presents. Alright?' she asked. The toehr three laughed and nodded.

They were all wearing coats and scarves and gloves, since it was really cold. The ground was slipery because of all the snow, and the streets were packed with talkative and smily Christmas shoppers. Harrods was also filled with people and Hestia squealed excitedly when they arrived.

The first room had the most beautiful handbags in the world. Gucci, Dolce & Gabanna, Prada, Jimmy Choo, and Hestia knew all of them. Because, apparently, "Muggle designers are soooo much better than Wizard ones... I mean, who would actually wear those damn robed everyday?" Then they entered the perfume section and it was all very beautiful and good-smelling.

'I'm in heaven.' Said Hestia.

'Ok. How about we split? Because I want to go see the food part whereas Hestia here wants to drool over dresses she'll never the able to afford.' Said Mary. 'Let's meet in the souvenir shop in an hour?'

'Sounds great. I'll go with you.' Said Emmeline. 'Food! Lily?'

' Hm... I'll take a look around... I heard they sell puppies here, so I'll see how cute they are. Also, I want to get Sergio a Christmas gift.'

Hestia rolled her eyes. 'You and that cat. Ok! I'll see you later. Gonna check the designer clothes!' and she left, smiling widely. Emmeline and Mary turned to the right into the food section. Lily sighed and looked around.

People moved so fast when they were shopping. She made her way to the egyptian escalators. She passed by the designer clothes on the first floor and smiled. They really were beautiful. There were wedding dresses that cost more than her family's car and she laughed at that.

'Who would pay that much for a dress?' she asked to herself and one of the clerks looked at her and snorted. Lily crooked an eyebrow and walked away. Now she was standing in the beachwear section. _Beachwear in the middle of December_, she snorted. A tall male clerk with brown hair and blue eyes approached her with a smile.

'Hello, can I help you?' he asked with a charming smile.

Lily looked at him and saw that pathetic look of a guy who's out of a girlfriend. She shook her head.

'No, thank you... I'm jusr browsing for a gift for my boyfriend.' She said with a smirk.

'Boyfriend?' the clerk asked. His nametag said he was Jacob. 'Is he not here with you?'

'Nah. He's at his home in Kesington. I'm here with my girlfriends... Excuse me...' she said, walking away from creepy-clerk-Jake and ending up in the lingerie section. Lily's eyes went wide as she saw laods of women touching knickers and bras and talk to each other about it. Lily hated discussing undergarments, especially instore where men were passing by, also checking out underwear for, hopefully, their wives and girlfriends. She shivered and looked away from a particularly excited group holding a bunch of novelty teeny tiny knickers and her eyes caught a beautiful lavander chemise in the division with nightwear. It was made of silk and had spaghetti straps. She got closer to it and saw that it wasn't that expensive. And it would be perfect for her Christmas present for James.

Lily had decided that she was ready. She was ready for him and she knew he was more than ready, being a boy and seventeen and all that. And, honestly, it would be perfect. She loved him and he loved her and their relationship was evolving really fast and, even though they had only been dating for three months, Lily thought that they were there. At that stage where they deserved to fully belong to each other. And so, thinking of that, Lily checked the size of the lavander chemise, picked it up and went to the till. The clerk smiled at her and gave her a knowing look when Lily handed her the money.

'Have fun.' She said and Lily smiled.

'Hopefully, I will.' Lily replied, picked up her bag and left, heading three floors up to the Pet Kingdom where she got Sergio a new collar and some fancy cat food.

An hour later, Lily went to the gift shop and looked around for her friends. She saw Hestia picking up a teddy bear and went over to her.

'Hey!' she said.

'Had fun?' asked Hestia, holding out her three bags. 'There were shoes on sale! Shoes! On Sale! Thrithy per cent off! Here! Isn't it great?'

'It is great. I had fun... Some clerk named Jacob flirted with me... Another perk of dating a perfect boy, I can totally make fun of stupid boys who want to date me...' Hestia threw her head back and laughed.

'Great! What did you get?'

Lily also decided she wasn't going to tell her friends about her Christmas escapade plan, so she lied and said she had only purchased Sergio's presents.

'Boring.' Hestia sighed. 'Look! The power duo bought loads of food!'

Mary and Emmeline met them and waved happily, holding out her bags of delicious Harrods food and their two one-litre bottles of Fiji water.

'I got sweets!' said Mary. 'And they look just as good as the ones on Honeydukes!'

'And I got an awesome-looking salmon which I will cook as a thanks to the Potters for letting us stay.' Said Emmeline. She was the best cook of all four of them. Although Lily held the title for bakery.

'Great... I heard they sell huge eggs here on Easter... And they're like eight pound eggs and made of Godiva chocolate and they cost, like, a hundred quids.' Said Lily.

'Quids?' asked Hestia. They were heading off now, on their way to Oxford Street.

'It's slang for pounds.' Explaied Mary. Hestia and Emmeline nodded.

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On Christmas Eve, the Potter house was awaken by the delicious smell of chocolate muffins and cupcakes being baked. Lily had woken up at seven and decided to make some treats for their Christmas Eve dinner. It was not eight thirty and she was in the middle of her second batch of fresh cupcakes.

James, who had just returned from his morning jog, was taken aback by the delicious smell coming from the kitchen and smiled as he saw his beautiful girlfriend humming a Christmas song along with the radio and putting the final touches on a pretty-looking batch of jolly cupcakes.

'Morning.' He said with a smirk. Lily turned to look at him and smiled widely.

'Hey, honey! I'm baking!'

'I know. It smells delicious!'

'Well, I am pretty good at baking. Emmeline does the salty stuff, I take care of sweets.' She smiled. He approached her and hugged her from the back.

'Yum' he whispered and kissed her neck. 'Is that a reindeer?'

'Yes! It's just for you!'

'I'm a stag, dove.'

'Yeah, but stags aren't Christmas-y... Besides, they all have antlers anyway.'

James chuckled and nodded. 'Point taken. Now I'm going to take a shower and today I'm taking you out for lunch!'

'Why?'

He shrugged. 'Because we haven't had quality time together ever since we got here... I know it may sound strange, but I like hanging out with you alone.'

Lily giggled and nodded. 'Alright... Where are we going?'

'Well, I was thinking we could just have a snack since there's going to be such delicious food for dinner, so... Have you ever been to the Soho Secret Tea Room?'

'Nope. I haven't been anywhere. I'm from Surrey.'

'Right. It's great. They play jazz. You'll love it.'

He gave her kiss and left for his shower. Lily shook her head and smiled at her boyfriend's cuteness.

...

James took Lily's hand up the stairs next to the pub and opened the door for her to what was probably the cutest little tea house she had ever seen. It was everything Madam Puddifoot's going for, but actually succeeded. There were couples everywhere. And families. And groups of old ladies doing their cute little old lady things. Lily beamed at her boyfriend and hugged his waits.

'It's beautiful!'

'I knew you'd love it. Let's take a seat.' He said, leadin her across the room, where the soft notes of jazz played and made everything seem blissful. The smell of tea-leaves was everywhere, as well as the smell of freshly baked scones and cupcakes and delicious English pasteries.

They sat at a small table facing each other and a waitress dressed in a Victorian-style dress appeared. 'Hello!' she said cheerfuly. 'Can I get you anything?'

'Lily?' James asked.

'Hm, yeah. Can I have a cup of Green Tea and a scone with butter, please?'

'Sure. You?'

'A scone as well, but I'll have the Earl Grey, thanks.'

'Great. I'll be right back.' The waitress left and Lily faced James.

'This is great! How did you find it?'

'I don't really remember how... But I do remember that I really wanted to bring you here as soon as I did.'

'And when was that?'

'Three years ago?' he said shyly. 'I'm sappy, whatever.'

'It's fine. I think it's cute.'

'Now you do. Then you thought I was a creep!'

Lily laughed.

'Speaking of creeps! There was a really creepy clerk at Harrods yesterday!'

'Really?'

She nodded. 'He kept flirting with me. Then I said I had a boyfriend who lived in Kesington and that I was ther with my girlfriends and just left.'

'Awesome. We'll go there after Christmas and see if he's there. I'd like to see the look on his face when he sees your awesome boyfriend.' James said, stuffing his chest.

'Wow... I wonder how your broom leaves the ground with such a big heavy head on top of it.'

'Shut up.' They laughed.

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'Delicious dinner, girls. Thank you.' Said Mr Potter, smiling from ear to ear after they finished the wonderful dinner Emmeline and Lily cooked together.

'It really was amazing. Great fish, Em.' Said James. 'By the way, I have never, in my entire life, eaten such amazing brownies, Lily.'

Lily smiled and kissed him on the cheek. 'Thanks. Mum's recipe. Petunia never got the hang of it... But I am the Master!'

They laughed and left the table. It was a little past ten and they were all very tired-looking.

'How about we all go to bed early so you can open presents very very early in the morning tomorrow?' suggested Mr Potter.

'Awesome!' said Sirius. 'I heard some one has a surprise for me...'

'Yeah. You'll see it tomorrow...' said James exchanging a look with his father.

'Goodnight, everyone...' said Emmeline.

They all said their goodnights and went to bed. James, however, followed Lily and leaned against her doorframe.

'Night, dove.' He said, a sweet look in his eyes. Lily smiled and put her arms around his neck.

'Goodnight, honey. I'll see you in the morning.' She kissed him and he smiled. 'Love you.'

'Love you too, Lily. Sleep tight.' He closed her door and she smiled, noticing she was growing happier and happier about the following evening.

...

'HAPPY CHRISTMAS!' bellowed James, who woke up earlier than everyone else. He opened the doors of all the bedrooms and yelled the same thing, waking everyone up.

The eight of them made their way down the stairs and found that the Christmas tree that was in the lounge had now dozens of presents under it.

'Presents!' exclaimed a happy Sirius.

They began the gift exchange. Lily got a beautiful sweater from Emmeline – handmade – and Harrods sweets from Mary, and a pair of earrings from Hestia. Remus and Sirius gave them all Honeydukes sweets, but Remus also got them each a book that they would personally enjoy, which Lily loved because hers was a 'How to Tame Your Cat' book that was very funny. Sirius winked and said that it wasn't just for cats, "if you know what I mean" and they all laughed at James' face after that comment. Mr Potter got them all pretty bracelets, which made all of them stand up and give him a hug and he laughed. James got Mary a basket of sweets because she loved sweets, Hestia a skirt he had seen in Hogsmead and thought she'd like, and Emmeline a silver necklace with a goat pingent and they laughed about it.

'Genius!' said Sirius. 'A goat!' he always laughed when the goat was mentioned and, every time, Emmeline smacked him in the head.

He also got Sergio a new food bowl and Lily put his new fancy food in it and the cat ate it happily, so the couple high-fived. Then he gave Lily his present which was a beautifully ornamented photoframe with a moving picture of them laughing and dancing in Hogsmeade during the autumn. She smiled and gave him a massive bear hug, close to tears. Lily gave him a humongous basket of baked goods which she had prepared the night before, after sneaking out of the bedroom when everyone went to sleep. He smiled widely and began eating one of his heavenly brownies.

'Now it's time for Sirius' present.'Mr Potter announced, standing up. 'If you'd follow me outside, please.'

'What?' Sirius asked.

'Dad and I cheaped in for it...' said James. 'And Remus helped me with the afterwards... Which Dad doesn't know about, so shush.'

Sirius walked confused behind Mr Potter and they went to the frontyard where there was a massive black motorcycle.

'Happy Christmas, son.' Said Mr Potter, patting Sirius on the shoulder. 'This baby is all yours.'

Sirius eyes went wide and he seemed to be tearing up. 'You're joking! You got me a motorcycle! Oh, Merlin!' he hugged Mr Potter, then James then Remus and started skipping. 'So cool!'

'It flies.' Said James. 'Remus and I changed it so it flies now.'

'It does. It's pretty awesome' said Remus.

'BRILLIANT!'

...

'James, can I talk to you for a minute?' Mr Potter asked after the present –exchanging, when the kids were all watching a Christmas special on the telly.

'Sure.' They went into the library and Mr Potter sat on the comfy chair while his son took the sofa.

'You know tomorrow I'm going fishing with the guys, right?'

'Yeah. But you'll be back from New Years, won't you?'

'Oh, yes yes. And I think there'll be a party at the Ministry, if you kids would like to go. I have to, but you can choose, he-he.' He smiled 'But that's unimportant. I just wanted to give you something before the trip and before I forget...' he took a small black velvet box from his robe pocket.

'Are you proposing to me, Dad?' asked James, pretending to sob. Mr Potter chuckled.

'Not yet, son... No, hm... This is the family ring, you see..' he opened it and James saw the ring he saw on his mother's finger. The diamond and the white gold band. He looked at his father. 'And I just wanted to give it to you... However, I do not want you proposing until you finish your studies and get a job.'

James' eyes went wide. 'What?'

'Look, I know how much you love Lily and I see the way you look at her. It's the way I looked at your mother. So, since this is the family ring and every bride in the family wore it, this is the ring you'll use when you propose to her, because I know you will.'

'Right... Thanks, Dad.'

'Your mother would've loved her...'

'I know... She'll love this. When I give it to her. After we graduate and get jobs.'

'That's my boy!' Mr Potter smiled. 'Now take this to your room. And don't tell Sirius 'cause he'll go mental and tell everyone.'

'Yep. I know the piece.'

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That evening, Lily put her plan to action.

After everyone had retired to their bedrooms, Lily went to take a quick shower. She then put on her lavander chemise from Harrods and her fuzzy robe on top of it, and let her hair fall like crimson cascade down her back.

Lily left her room and got into James' knowing he'd be taking a bath. She quickly Muffliato'd the door, locked it and began preparing the room, fully aware of the noises coming his bathroom and hoping he'd take as long as she needed to shower.

She put out the magical floaty, fire-safety-aware candles that had a delicious cinnamon smell, and got the stereo ready with some nice music. She didn't the idea of making anything "sexy" because Lily didn't want it to be "sexy", she wanted it to be romantic and beautiful, like her relationship. She sighed and breathed in and out to calm herself down. _No jitters_, she thought to herself.

'I'm ready.' She whispered like a mantra. 'I really am ready!'

Then she heard the water stop and a few minutes later, James came out of the bathroom, wet hair sticking to his forehead, baggy pajama bottoms hanging on his waist and his skinny yet strong torso showing. He held his towel on one hand and was putting his glasses on with the other while blinking in confusion.

'What is this?' he asked, a frightened smirk creeping on his lips.

'My Christmas present to you. You didn't think I was only going to get you baked goods, did you?' she said in a low voice, almost like a whisper, approaching him slowly and undoing her robe.

'A-are you... sure?' he asked with a gulp. Lily smiled and nodded playfully.

'I have never been more sure of anything. Ever.'

Now she was standing right in front of him and her robe was lying on the floor. Her creamy white legs showing under the lavander silk chemise, her collar bones shining in natural beauty under the low lighting, covered by her silky red hair. He stared at her in awe. Then his eyes moved to her lips and he pulled her to him by her tiny waist in a deep kiss.

James ran his hands through her back and waist and to he hem of her chemise and under it, while Lily grabbed his hair and kissed him furiously, trying to take in every drop of him.

They never stopped kissing. Not when he kept saying how stunningly beautiful she was, not when he removed her clothing or when she removed his.

On that night, James and Lily were intimate for the first time. And second. And third.

...

James woke up feeling a weight on his chest. He picked up his glasses from his nightstand and found Lily lying on him, sleeping peacefully with her face gently pressed against his chest and her arm wrapped around his waist. He smiled and ran his finger through her nose, drawing her face and memorising that feeling of complete and utter bliss.

She blinked and yawned, which James found the cutest thing in the world.

'Hey.' He whispered, leaning in and kissing the tip of her nose. 'Slept well?'

She smiled. 'Yes. Perfectly well, you?'

'Like a baby.'

Lily giggled and held him tighter.

'I love you, Lilykins.'

'I love you too, honey.' She smiled. 'I have to go to my room.'

'Why? It's so comfy in her...' he pouted.

She got up and dressed.

'I know... But Mary stops by every morning and she'll be suspicious if I'm not there, plus you have the whole morning jog thing.' She said, giving him a kiss. 'I love you and I'll see you in breakfast.' She left and he sighed, but smiled again as he remembered how beautiful the night before had been. How beautiful she looked. And how lucky he was to have her in his life.

James got up and went to his desk. He opened the drawer and picked up the black velvet box his father had given him. Inside it was the family engagement ring with the white gold band and the four carrat diamond. He stared at it and smiled.

'Some day...' he whispered. 'you'll be on that girl's finger.'

Then the closed the box and put it back in the drawer. James decided to skip the jog and went to the shower, not feeling the need for his "morning routine anymore".

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**N/A: Done and done, fellow Limers! Quite a long chapter, I'd say, but it pays off in the end, I hope. Did you like my surprise? Comment if you did! Review! Write to me! Say hello! Introduce yourself! Anyway, next chapter will be called '1978' and it will take a longer time to be up since I have loads of homework to do, but I promise that it will not take longer than Tuesday! Alright? Til then, as always, Marauder-on!**


	31. 1978

**N/A: Hey, guys... Sorry for my tardiness... I was in the TARDIS... he-he... Doctor Who joke... Anyway! Guys! I did a rough count and apparenly I only have about seventeen chapter to go! Saad! But no worries because I had ideas for another story! Anyway, let's get down to business, shall we? On to New Years!**

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#31 – 1978

James fell deep. Now that he and Lily had been intimate, he just couldn't stop thinking about her. Everytime he closed his eyes he saw her face and her smell was in his dreams. Her strawberry smell. It'd been three days. It was driving him insane.

They decided not to tell anybody because they would just make a fuss and a big deal about it and it was the opposite of what they were looking for. The Ministry Winter Bash, then, was well-received.

'We should totally go!' said Hestia. 'We can buy new dresses and it will be so fancy! Besides, we do need connections in the Ministry, right?'

'I agree.' Said Emmeline. 'But we'd be tagging along with Mr Potter, is he ok with this?'

James was daydreaming and hadn't heard a word they girls said. Lily shook his shoulder.

'James. James!'

'What? Hm, sorry... I wasn't paying attention.'

'They want to know if it's ok for us to go to the Ministry thing...' Lily said, smiling at him.

'I guess, but it's pretty boring.' He said. 'But, yeah, we can go. Dad'll be back tomorrow night anyway.'

'Oh, cool!' said Sirius. 'Do you think they caught anything?'

James smirked. 'Oh yeah. They were totally fishing and not sitting around the cabin, talking about Quidditch and drinking butterbeer.' The boys laughed and the girls rolled their eyes.

'Can we go dress shopping this afternoon, then?' asked Hestia. 'Because we'll need at least two days to treat our hair and skin for perfect hair and make-up!'

Mary's eyes went wide. 'What? Two days?'

'It's the price of beauty...'

Emmeline and Lily shook their heads. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Everyone looked confused and James went to answer it.

'Hey.' He said, opening the door to a tall, chubby guy with a blond beard and ginger hair wearing the red Royal Mail shirt.

'Morning, sir!' he said, sounding very cheerful. 'I have a letter for you. And since I've never delivered mail here before, I thought it'd be best to do it in person.' He said. 'I'm you postman, Albie.'

'Oh, nice to meet you. Yeah, we don't get mail. Hm, thanks.' James said, picking up the letter. 'I'm James Potter, by the way.' They shook hands and the chubby mailman left.

'Who was it?' asked Sirius.

'Muggle postman. Mail. It's addressed to Lily.'

'Me? Weird.' Lily went to him and took the letter, opening it. 'It's from Petunia.' She whispered. Then she left to the kitchen, all eyes following her.

'Strange.' Said Hestia.

'Not really. You weren't there, but they had this huge fight when we arrived at the Dursley's.' James explained. 'Petunia said she didn't want to see Lily anymore.'

The group gasped and Sirius stood up.

'What a bitch!' he said. 'It's her effing sister!'

'Yeah, I know. It sucks.'

Lily came back with tears in her eyes. The girls stood up and huddled around her doing a group hug.

'What happened?' asked James after they girls parted. Lily sniffed.

'Nothing... It's just—I have to go and get my things at their house. Petunia just got hers and we're selling the house, since no one's living there anyways... But I don't have anywhere to store and she gave me 'til New Years.' Lily said. James frowned.

'Can I hate her?' he asked. Lily snorted and nodded. 'Good. You can store your things here. And you can stay here during the summer, if you'd like.'

'Yeah, Lily-pad! We have loads of space!' said Sirius, giving her a bear hug.

Lily giggled. 'Ok! Put me down! Thank you...'

'You still have to go, though, right?' asked Remus. Lily nodded.

'I'll go with you. And the guys can help the girls shop for dresses. How about that?'

'NOOO!'

'Quit being a drama queen, Black. You have to right to, since you spend more time in your hair than I do.' Said Hestia.

'Well, that's obvious. It looks ghastly.'

Hestia started to punch him and they all laughed. Lily looked at James and mouthed a "thank you" while he nodded and kissed her forehead.

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The young couple Apparated in Lily's parents' house's backyard. There was tireswing on a tall tree and the grass seemed freshly mown. Lily took a deep breath and walked in through the backdoor. James followed her.

'Are you ok?' he asked, seeing her sob silently.

'Yeah... I'm just... So many memories, you know? I grew up here, my whole life... Being here without them just makes it more real.' She whispered. 'There are some boxes in the pantry. You can just... Wait here, while I pack everything.'

'Sure. Ok.' He said, smiling. Lily smiled back and left.

She went to her old bedroom and started to pack her things. Her pictures and books and stuffed animals. Tears started to stream down her face as he remembered all the good times she had at that house.

'I can't do this...' she whispered, out of breath. 'James!'

James appeared on her doorframe not three seconds later. He looked worried as he held her close and squeezed her tight.

'Sshhh... It'll be alright.'

'I can't do this, James... I just...'

'I know... I'll do it for you, ok?'

She looked up at him and he smiled weakly, wiping her tears away with his thumb. He kissed her forehead and let her go, starting from where she left off.

Lily crossed her arms and sniffed. 'Thank you.'

...

James finished packing her bedroom and went downstairs to find Lily making them tea. She smiled as he entered the room and he smiled back. James looked at her with her green eyes red from crying, her long wavy red hair tied up in a knot, her torquoise dress waving a bit from the wind coming from the window. She was wearing black tights undrneath the dress and a pair of gray boots. Her sweater was lying on a chair near the kitchen table. He approached her and held her from the back.

'I love you.' He whispered in her ear and she shivered, turning around to face him and looking deep into his eyes.

'I love you too. And I can truly say that I love you more than anything in the world.' She said. 'All this stuf doesn't matter because I have you.'

They kept staring into each others eyes until the kettle started to make boiling noises. Lily parted from James and started to pour water into two cups of tea. Green for her, Earl Gray for him. He smiled.

'You know me so well.' He said plyafully and she giggled.

'Yeppers!' they laughed a bit and then a comfortable silence fell. James looed around the nearly empty kitchen and imagined the life she had there. Her mother cooking dinner, her father reading the newspaper, her sister walking in and out, showing their mother her outift and deciding what to wear, Lily sitting on that table over breakfast, scribbling Charms notes down while eating a toast with butter absentmindedly.

'Where were you when your Hogwarts letter arrived?' he asked. Lily looked up and smiled.

'I was watching cartoons on the telly in the lounge.' She smiled. 'Dumbledore appeared on our doorstep. I remember Petunia got so angry... She was so jealous that I was going and she wasn't. She even wrote to Dumbledore asking if she could come... I felt really bad for her, but Snape kept telling me that she didn't deserve it, she wasn't magical, she wasn't important. I dunno. He was my only friend growing up, you know? I already knew all about magic when Dumbledore came because Snape told me. And Petunia knew, too. She hated it. She hated him. She hated... me.' Lily stared down at her tea. 'But Mum and Dad were so proud. They thought that was marvellous. I was going to magical school and learn magical things... Mum cried tears of joy. We were all in the lounge, sitting around the coffee table, drinking tea. You know, my dad drank Earl Gray as well.'

James smiled. 'Really? That's cool.'

Lily nodded and snorted. 'Gosh... I remember bitching about how annoying you were every summer on this very table.'

'What?'

'Yeah. I told Mum about this annoying little boy who was incredibly arrongant and too smart for his own good.' She smiled. 'Mum would always smiled and say "one day you'll marry that boy, Lil" and I pretended to vomit.'

They were both laughing now as Lily remembered the good times. Then the began boxing the lounge for all of her things. There was almost nothing, so they were done pretty quickly when Lily remembered something.

'Oh, my!' she said, running up the stairs, James following her. She went into the Master Bedroom and opened the closet, which was also empty except for one dress. It was a midnight blue silk dress from the 50s with a glittery silk overlay, bow belt, cami lined bodice with sheer shoulders and sleeves. Lily's eyes sparkled as she saw it and she smiled widely. 'She left it... Petunia left it for me. She knew how much I wanted it...'

'What is this?'

'It's the dress my Mum wore when Dad proposed to her. She loved blue. And she looked gorgeous in it.' Lily said, still a mesmerized look in her eyes. James looked at the dress and smiled.

'You will too.' He said. 'You should wear it for the Ministry Bash.'

Lily stared at him. 'Seriously?'

'Yeah. You'll look gorgeous. Plus, no dress shopping.'

She smiled and picked up the hanger of the dress. 'Sounds perfect to me.'

They left the room and James started to gather all the boxes together with his wand. Then he motioned it and magically sent them to his house. Lily looked up at him and smiled.

'Thank you. For everything.'

'Any time, dove.' He said, kissing the top of her head, then her lips. She grabbed his hair, deepening the kiss, and he pressed her against the corridor wall. They stayed that way, kissing passionatedly, for what could've been hours, until they parted, searching for breath, both looking flushed and disheveled.

'Inappropriate...' James whispered and Lily giggled.

'Oh my God, it really is. My father is rolling on his grave... Imagine that, his baby daughter snogging her boyfriend in the corridor...' she said. 'Mum would've loved it.'

'She seemed really nice.'

'She was. And the classiest woman I've ever known. Well, besides your Mum.'

James smiled.

'It's a tie.'

'Awesome.'

Lily grabbed her sweater and her coat from the kitchen and James grabbed his coat and the couple went to the backyard to Apparate back to the Potters or, as Lily would know it now, home.

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'You guys look amazing!' said Lily as the girls showed off their new dresses. 'I especially adore yours, Em.'

'Thanks! What are you wearing?' she asked.

'Yeah! Oh, you don't have a dress! Lily!'

'I do, as a matter of fact. My Mum left me the most beautiful dress. It's midnight blue and it's absolutely stunning.' She said, picking up the dress from her wardrobe.

'Put it on!' said Mary. 'I want to see it off the hanger.'

Lily sighed and went to the bathroom to change into the dress. Unfortunately, she left her want on her bed, so she left the bathroom with half the dress unzipped on the back.

'Sexy!' said Hestia. Lily stuck her tongue out and motioned for her to close the zipper.

'Looks great! And it's vintage! I love vintage!' said Mary.

'James is going to drop dead when he sees you in this.' Said Hestia. Emmeline nodded.

'You'll look like those embassy couples...'

Lily laughed. 'Yeah, right... What did the boys get, by the way?'

Hestia then rolled her eyes and sighed. 'They bought new ties. That's all! Can you believe it? New ties! Ridiculous!'

'Pretty ties, though... And I think Sirius bought a pencil sharpener... I don't know why, though.' Said Mary.

'He probably thought it was cool.' Said Lily. 'And guys only need different ties. The suits are all the same...'

'But it sucks that we have to endure long queues in the fitting rooms while boys onlt have to pick tie colours...' said Emmeline. 'At least with dress robes they get to be more flamboiant.'

'But that looks stupid.' Said Hestia. 'I'd kill the person who invented to bloody dress robes.'

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'Girls, we're gonna be late!' yelled James from downstairs where he, Sirius, Remus and his father were waiting for the girls to come down. Sirius rolled his eyes.

'Will I have to come there and get you?'

'Relax. We're coming...' said Hestia, appearing in a tight mermaid-style black gown that embranced her curves. He was wearing a lacy bolero jacket on top of it and a diamond necklace and bracelet. Emmeline came down next to her wearing a purple empire-waisted gown with those long gloves. Mary and Lily followed. Mary wearing an olive-green short knee-length cocktail dress with stilettos, and Lily her mother's dress, with her hair tied up in a messy bun and her eyes greener than ever with Hestia's clever shadow-y eye make up.

'Wow.' Said Remus. 'You girls look gorgeous.'

'Thanks...' said Mary blushing.

'You'll kick those French bimbo's arses.' Said Sirius.'Yeah, they always go thinking they're so hot and fancy, but this year they've got some competition.'

Emmeline shoved him.

'You look stunning.' Whispered James in Lily's ear. She looked at him and smiled widely, her mouth covered in a beautiful deep red lipstick.

'I put the spell already.' She said. 'So we can have fun...'

He smirked and they followed the rest of the group, who followed Mr Potter to the front of the house where a black Bentley was waiting for them.

'A car?' asked Remus.

'Oh, yeah... They always send cars to the big event.' Said Mr Potter, getting into the back seat. The group followed, noticing it was bigger on the inside.

'Awesome!' said Hestia, squeezing between Sirius and Remus.

'There's nothing like going to New Year's Eve in style.' Said Mary winking and they all laughed.

...

As soon as they arrived at the party, Mr Potter said goodbye to them to talk to his friends and colleagues. It was around ten o'clock and the room was filled with people from all over the world. The food was delicious, there was champagne and the music was classical, a very distinct and toned down event for classy people.

'This is dull.' Said Hestia.

'Told ya.' Said James, smirking. 'These things suck... The only good thing is the food... And my beautiful date.'

'How flattering... But there's not saving there, darling. You put me after food.' Said Lily, smacking his arm playfully. 'Anyway, I'd like to make a toast.'

They all got glasses and Lily cleared her throat.

'To the future. To leaving the past behind and to becoming independent and happy. May 1978 kick 1977's bum!'

'To 1978!' they all toasted.

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**N/A: Sorry it took so long! I had to write this MASSIVE History Essay, which I'm yet to finish, boo-hoo... Anyway, hope you liked it... Please review and keep reading! I'll see you on Thursday/Friday. Til then, Marauder-on! **


	32. A Bad Day for Sirius Black

**N/A: Hello, everyone! I'm so sorry it took so long to put this up, but I had school and homework and I was so, so sleepy… Anyway, it's here now and that's all that matters! On we go!**

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#32 – A Bad Day for Sirius Black (Sirius POV)

It was a Wednesday morning. I only remember it was a Wednesday because it was the only day we didn't have Quidditch practice. Prongs is so fixated on the idea that he "needs his last Cup" and bla bla bla that we barely get any sleep. The fact that we lost our last match against Ravenclaw – BY ONLY TWENTY POINTS! – doesn't help. Now we have to read about all of their tactics and study them and memorise them and try and beat them. Merlin, it's killing me.

And do you want to know what isn't helping? These weird feelings I get everytime I see McDonald. I mean, she's cool and cute, right? But I don't do relationships. Plus, we graduate in a few months – wow, I keep forgetting that – and we can't afford to be in a relationship that is most certainly not going anywhere. Right? Right? I asked Remus and he nodded and made a grunting noise. Granted he was working on an essay, but still! I'm right! I'm always right. I'm Sirius Black.

Anyway, Wednesday morning! Yep. I woke up and took a shower. I did _not_ think of McDonald while I was there. Then I fixed my hair, my awesome hair, and changed. After that I joined Moony and Wormtail in our trip to the Great Hall and there she was. Brown hair and sweet smile. Dammit.

'Look, Padfoot, your _girlfriend_.' Said Wormtail and he and Remus started to laugh. I rolled my eyes and smacked him on the head.

'Shut your trap!'

'Morning, boys!' greeted Hestia as soon as we sat down. 'Head Boy and Girl aren't here yet.'

'I bet they're having Morning sex.' I said. Mary lifted an eyebrow.

'Sirius, you don't even know if they are having sex whatsoever.' She said. I snorted.

'Come on! Of course they are! James is all happy and smiling. It's disturbing, since he's all happy and smiling during Quidditch, while he yells at us.'

'Maybe he's just in a good mood.' Said Remus.

'Yeah. He's in a good mood because he's getting laid.'

'Sush! Here they come!' said Emmeline, throwing bread at us.

'Hello, everyone!' said James and Lily in unison. They are like twins now. You don't see James without a Lily next to him and vice versa. And during weekends she wears his sweatshirts… Eye roll, please. Although I do have to admit Evans looks pretty hot in those. I'm not supposed to find her hot, so scratch that.

Anyway, they had big smiles on their faces and then I saw it.

Lily lifted her right hand to pick up juice and I saw it! The stupid douchey ring James was wearing just the other day! I thought to myself: are they sharing jewelry now? But not. The truth was even worse.

'What is that?' I asked.

'What?' Lily said, looking around.

'That on your finger.'

'This ring? Oh, it's… Hm…'

'It's promise ring, Sirius.' Explained the oh-so-helpful Hestia, smiling. 'They both have one… I think it's adorable.'

'It's not just that, though… James did something to it… It works like a warning, like "the other person is in danger" and stuff…'Lily added. I was stunned. Astounded. Astonished. I couldn't believe it.

'That is so gay!' I said. Remus hit me. 'Bloody ow!'

'It's not gay. It'd be gay if he had given that to a guy.' He said.

'Oh, I'm sorry Mr Politically-Correct. But it's so lovey-dovey-sappy-ew.'

'You're saying that because you've never been in love.' Mary said, giving me a weird look. I sighed.

'Whatever. Well, good for you.'

'Thanks for taking your head off your arse long enough o say that.' Said James with a smirk. I laughed sarcastically.

'We don't have practice tonight, right?' I asked.

'Nope. It's date night… After Prefects meeting, of course.'

'Duty calls.' Said Lily, nodding along.

I rolled my eyes again. It's not that I don't think they're great, it's just that it's sickening. I hate that boyfriend/girlfriend dynamics. That is why I don't do relationships.

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Later that day I had an epiphany. Yes, I know what it means, don't look at me weirdly. Anyway, I had an epiphany. I was looking around, checking out girls, when I realised that I did not find them attractive anymore. I didn't feel like asking them out or even snogging them. Except McDonald.

'You should tell her. Ask her out.' Said Remus while we were hanging out at the Heads Dorm in our free period. Peter was in catch-up Tranfiguration.

'Yeah. It sucks keeping things bottled up, man. Plus we could totally double-date!' said James, playing with the goddamn Snitch.

'No! I don't wanna double-date. That's the point. As much as I like her, I don't want to be anyone's boyfriend. The sappy looks, the promise rings, the Christmas gifts…' I said, at which point James snorted and Remus and I stared at him, 'What?'

'Nothing… Sorry. Go on.' He said. I exchanged a look with Remus and shrugged. 'Look, whether you want a relationship or not, I'm pretty sure she does because Mary told Hestia who told Lily who told me that she finds you… Cute? I don't remember the word, but that was essentially it.'

'What?'

'Yeah! And there was the wedding thing, remember? Hestia and Mary kept fighting over you? I mean, Hestia only did that because she was a drunken female version of you… Apparently drunken-Hestia likes you, like in fourth year, right?' Remus laughed. I glared at him. 'Not the point. Ok. Anyway, Mary, however, never had anything to do with you, but you two have been closer ever since Jily happened.'

'What the hell is Jily?' James and I asked.

'James and Lily. I was trying to save time. Doesn't matter! Ever since they got together, you and Mary have been closer and now I think she thinks you're going to ask her out.'

My eyes went wide. 'You guys have known all of this and chose not to tell me?'

'I kinda forgot until now…' said James. I threw a pillow at him.

'Gits. Help me!'

'We told you! Talk to her! She can't keep thinking you are going to ask her out and you can't keep running away from it.' Said Remus, sounding much like he was done with this conversation. Sure enough, he stood up and got his bag. 'I have to check out a book. See you in Charms.'

'What do you think?' I asked James. He sighed and sat up crossing his legs and putting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his hands.

'I think you should go and tell Mary that, even though you find her very alluring and funny and awesome, don't quote me on that by the way, you can't fate her because of reasons.'

'What reasons?'

'How the hell would I know? I think you guys would be great together.'

'Prongs…'

'Yeah, ok. I understand.' He said, patting my head. 'Sometimes I think you should make the change permanent… You know, be a dog a stuff?'

I laughed. 'Sure… I could live with the tail. But the fleas are awful…'

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So I went. On the hour and a half we had before our last class and dinner, I decided it would be a good time to talk to Mary.

She was, as always, with the girls. Minus Lily, who was with James. So I went up to them and cleared my throat.

'Hi.' I said. They stared at me. Can I just state for the record that Hestia Jones, Emmeline Vance, Mary McDonald and, most of all, Lily Evans are very frightening. I was glad Lily wasn't there. 'I, hm, need to, hm, talk to Mary…'

She smiled widely and I felt bad for the things I was going to say. We left the group and went talk in an empty corridor.

'Yes?' she asked, smiling in that sweet way that she always does. Always did, actually, even when we were in third year and James and I were being pricks. That killed me.

'Ok. Mary, I really like you.' I said. 'I think you're great. You're funny and pretty and smart.'

'Thank you?'

'Yeah, it's a compliment, you should take it. It's true, though… But that's not the point. I'd really like to go out with you—'

'Yes! I'd love to—'

'No! I can't! I was going to say that I'd love to go out with you, but I can't…'

'What?' she asked with a sad voice. Dammit, Sirius!

'I'm sorry. It sucks, I know, but we can't go out. I just… I'm not ready to be in a relationship and I'm not sure if I ever will… You know?'

'But-! You just said-! Why?'

'It's a threefold, really.' I rubbed my neck, feeling more and more nervous. Dammit, dammit, dammit! 'I can't go ut with you because (1) I'm not ready for relationships, not mature enough anyway, and not sure if I ever will be, (2) and you deserve more than me, because you are awesome and very pretty and should marry the prince of somewhere cool like Grace Kell (3) and it's way too dangerous nowadays to… You know, be with people.'

'Hang on! I get the first one, but the last two? I'm not too good for you! I get to decide who's good for me, Sirius!' she said, spitting her words and tearing up with rage. 'And what does that even mean, dangerous?'

'You know! Death Eaters and all that! I mean, my family is all composed of evil Death Eater-related people. I can't put you in the middle of that. And what if something happened to—'

'What about James and Lily? They're together! And he's a pure-blood and she's a Muggleborn! What about your cousin Andromeda and her husband? He's a Muggleborn as well!' she said, crying and I kicked myself mentally for saying what I said next, even though it was true and I could do nothing about it.

'Sure… They're in love. They love each other, Mary. And that's worth being in danger for. But for a fling? For a crush?'

'But we could be them! I'm sure we could!' she was crying now. Dammit!

'No, we couldn't. I know you think I'm just a façade. Inside I'm this senstive guy with loads of feelings like Remus and James, but I'm not. What you see is what you get with me and, honestly, with the way I was raised, I don't think I can love someone that way… You know? That love that James and Lily, or Ted and Dromeda share… It's just… I can't even fathom it, Mary.' I said, staring at my feet, trying not to stutter. I was speaking the truth, but it still hurt. 'I'm sorry.'

'So what? You're not even gonna try?' she approached me and held my face. 'Of course you can love! You are amazing, Sirius, and you think so low of yourself…'

'I don't! Mary, you have to understand that I'm not trying to be a martyr or a hero or to have you plea for my love. I'm telling you I have to protect you and you're better off without me. Ok?'

She looked up at me and wiped off her tears, sniffing.

'How am I better off with a broken heart?' she asked and I looked at her and saw her sadness. But there was nothing I could do.

'It'll heal. And you'll be alive. And you meet someone else, someone who'll love you properly and deserve your awesome self. And you'll marry him and have babies and be safe. And loved.'

'What if I don't want that? What if I want you?'

I held her shoulders and made her look at me. I was feeling very angry that she didn't get the point.

'I don't want you to want me. Forget this thing you feel because you can't feel it anymore.'

'Do not tell me what to do! You are so inconsiderate! I'm trying to love you, Sirius!'

'Don't, ok? Don't! I don't want it! What I want is for you to forget your crush and move on! Please, Mary.'

Silence fell as I looked at her. She was staring down and I felt like shite. Mary looked up again and her tears were dry, but I could feel the contemp that dripped from her eyes.

'Fine. I'll see you at dinner, Black.' She said, leaving me alone in the corridor.

I nodded and looked at my hands, than used them to hit myself in the face.

'You dickhead.' I whispered to myself. 'She doesn't even want to be friends now.'

With that thought, I went to the Kitchens, knowing very well I could never eat dinner with my friend without feeling like the biggest git on the planet.

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I was lying down on my back, staring at the my little bed-ceiling, feeling hopeless and alone, when Remus walked, followed by James.

'What are you doing here?' I asked.

'I'm here because Mary looked awful during dinner. How are you?' he asked me. Remus sat on his bed and James sat on mine. I sat down and shrugged.

'Like shite.'

'Well, duh. But what else?' Remus said and that made me smile.

'I dunno. I reckon it was a good thing to do, right? So I'm kinda happy she'll be happy.' They both nodded.

'Good.' Said Remus.

'Yeah. You should allow yourself to be happy, though…' said James.

'I'll do that after this war… It's too dam hard now. I don't know how you do it.' I said to James and he looked at his little ring, smiling.

'I don't know how I lived seventeen years without her by my side everyday. Lily's like air, man… And when you find a girl that is like air to you, don't let her go…' he said and we exchanged a look. 'Mary wasn't it, then?'

I shook my head because I always knew that it would be like the others. She was cuter and nicer and liked her more than the others, but it would end the same nonetheless. 'She wasn't.'

'Shame.' Said Remus. 'She's pretty cool.'

'Why don't you date her, then?' I asked.

'I think each of us can only date one of the bunch…' said James and we all laughed.

'Well, I'm off… Lily's waiting for me… She wants to know about what happened to you guys… See ya.' He said, then left. Remus got up and went to the bathroom.

'Get some sleep, mate. You'll need it for tomorrow.'

I sighed and agreed. I could avoid dinner tonight, but tomorrow was going to be a bitch.

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**N/A: Hey-oh! Hope you liked this one… A little different than the previous…Well, let me know what you think and I'll see you next chapter! Til then, Marauder-on!**


	33. Til Love do Us Part

**N/A: Hey-oh, Limers! Question: are you nerdfighters? Ok, never mind. Little note about the previous chapter, since it's cause lots and lots of different responses, which makes me really happy because writing is supposed to be ambiguous and yadda yadda yadda. Note is: don't hate Sirius, because he's a very detached human being and wouldn't be able to be in a commited relationship. No, this isn't one of those pretty stories wehre all of the Marauders have beautiful girlfriends and go on triple-dates and have fun and yuck. James and Lily are the focus and Remus and Sirius are single and will remain single for the time being. I hope you can undersantd that. Now on with chapter 33, alright?'**

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#33 – 'Til Love Do us Part

_Well, that was a bummer_, James though as he walked to the Heads Dorm after talking to Sirius that night, _ruined date night... Not the point though, Mary's probably really upset_. He told the password to the girl and she let him in. James walked in, ready to see Lily and hold her and kiss her. However, when he approached her redheaded figure sitting on the sofa, he was welcomed by a glare and a frown.

'Where were you?' she asked.

'I was talking to Sirius... He's pretty—'

'You're taking _his_ side, then?' she asked, spitting the words.

'What?' James stared at her, confused. 'There are no sides to take, Lily, this is over.'

'No! You have to go there and tell him how stupid he was! Can't he see that this is irrelevant? I mean, it's love!'

James snorted. 'It's not love, Lily... He just likes her, it's only a crush, nothing more.'

'How do you know that?'

'Well, it's Sirius for a start. He does't do relationships. It's not him. Plus, I think he's right. Mary is better off with someone with less baggage.'

Lily glared at him again. 'But she really likes him! And now she has a broken heart! Black destroyed the group!'

'It'll be fine...' he said, trying to hug her, but she pushed him away. 'What?'

'You just said he's right. Do you agree with him? That it's too dangerous now to be in relationships? Will you dump me, then?' she asked, sounding weepy. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and James could see that she'd been thinking about it ever since Mary told them what had happened.

'Yeah. I think it's dangerous... But I'll never leave you. I love you.'

'Now! What about tomorrow?' she turned away and climbed her staircase. James sighed angrily and followed her.

'Tomorrow I'll love you and the day after and forever after that! Lily, can't you see that I need to you breath? You're like air to me! I'll never break up with you. And I know it's dangerous, but I also know that it'll be more dangerous if we're apart...'

She turned to him, sitting on her bed, and sighed. Rain started to pour outside and the only sounds that could be heard were of the wild wind of the highlands. The furious water seemed to hate the glass as it hit it with all its strength and the leaves and grass and polen flew about, hitting the windows and the roof of the Castle. Lily stared outside and sighed again.

'I just can't be in this right now. Because I don't know what's going to happen and I need security. I'm all alone and I need someone who'll be there for me and not leave when it's a tad too dangerous for their taste.'

James' eyes went wide. 'Who do you think I am? I'm not him, Lily. I love you, always have. You're the one who took too long to see it. We belong together. We're not Sirius and Mary, or Remus and Emmeline... We're us.' He said, knowing very well he sounded way too hurt for his own good. 'And it kills me that you don't trust me to love and take care of you.'

'But you said he was right!'

'Yeah! Because I know what he wants for himself and what he's like. I don't think that relates to us, though. How we feel about each other. But now that you're saying you don't trust me... I don't know. Is this over, then?'

They both stared at each other. Lily sitting on the window bench, holding a pillow, and James sitting on her bed, picking on the little details of her bedspread. Lily looked away at the rain and shrugged. James sighed and looked at the floor.

He was in so much pain. This was not right, this wasn't supposed to go like this. They were supposed to talk and be cute like always. She was supposed to hug him and tell him she loved him and they would kiss. Not fight. Not fight because of their friends' fight. James was confused now.

_Did she just break up with me?_ He though, rubbing his eyes behind his glasses. He ruffled his hair and looked up at the ceiling. _No, she didn't. She'd never do that. We're in love and we're stronger than that._ He looked at her small figure, curled up on the bench, wearing one os his jumpers, her red hair in a ponytail, her eyes red and cheeks wet of tears, and realised what he had to do. He had to prove her that this was stupid. It was just a stupid meaningless fight and it was over. Now they could be them again, Jily or whatever... Just not break up. This was not over.

'Suddenly, after the quarrel, while we waited/Disheartened, silent,with downcast looks, nor stirred/Eyelid nor finger, hopeless both, yet hoping/Against all hope unsay the sundering word:' he murmured. Lily looked at him with a questioning look. He went on. "While all the room's stillness deepened, deepened about us,/And ech of us crept his thought's way to discover/How, with as little sound as the fall of a leaf,/The shadow had fallen, and lover quarreled with lover;'

'What are you doing?' she asked, as James stood up and approached her bench and sat down in front of her.

'And while, in the quiet, I marveled—alas, alas—/At your deep beauty, your tragic beauty, torn/As the pale flower is torn by the wanton sparrow—/This beauty, pitied and loved, and now forsworn;' he whispered, taking her pillow and throwing it away. 'It was then, when the instant darkened to its darkest—/When faith was lost with hope, and the rain conspired/To strike its gray arpeggios against our heartstrings,-/When love no longe dared, and scarecely desired:'

'James?' she whispered, still crying.

'It was then that a suddenly, in the neighbor's room,/The music started: that brave quartette o strings

Breaking out of the stillness, as out of our stillness,/Like the indomitable heart of that sings' he said, smiling weakily and motioning his wand. Now there was soft music playing downstairs in their little musicbox. Lily's mouth opened in a small smile and he went on. 'When all is lost; and startled from our sorrow,/Tranced from our grief by that by diviner grief,/We raised remembering eyes, each looked at other,/Blinded with tears of joy; and another leaf'

Lily nodded and smiled, wiping away her tears.

'Fell silently as that first; and in the instant/The shadow had gone, or quarrel became absurd;' he said.

'Yes…' she nodded.

'And I touched your hand,' he did, taking her hand and giving it a small peck. 'and we kissed, without a word.' James leaded down and gave her a kiss that proved that everything was forgotten. Their love still remained intact and would last forever.

Aftert they parted, Lily looked deep into James' eyes and smiled.

'What was that?' she asked in a soft whisper.

'A poem. It's called The Quarrel, by Conrad Aiken.' He said, playing with her hands and giving a small modest smile. 'Mum loved Muggle poems, so I grew up reading a lot of them. I thought this one was quite good regarding our current situation…'

Lily cupped his face with her small hands and looked at him sweetly.

'Thank you. That was beautiful.'

'I love you, Lily. Please, don't forget that. I'd die if you ever left me.' He said and every word was true. Lily knew it and she also knew she could never leave him.

'I love you too… You're my everything.'

They didn't like to profess their love in that sappy manner, but at the time it seemed fitting. They had so much so say and somehow, under the sound of the rain, it was a good time to say it.

James held her close and kissed the top of her head. She parted from him and they began to kiss again. He stood up, holding her close to him, and they were still kissing. Lily began unbuttoning his shirt and they walked blindly to her bed and lay there, kissing and reminding themselves of how much they loved each other.

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On Thursday, when Lily arrived for breakfast, she would feel the awkwardness coming from her little spot on the Gryffindor table.

Mary, Hestia and Emmeline were sitting together where they usually sat and Sirius, Remus and Peter were sitting way over on the other side of the table. Lily looked up at James nervously.

'Where do we go?' she asked. James sighed and gave her a peck on the lips.

'You go to your friends and I'll go to mine. We'll see each other in class anyway.' He smiled.

'Ok. Love you.' She said, walking.

'Love you, too.'

As Lily walked to her friends, she couldn't help but remember how amazing the night before was. Granted she didn't like doing _that_ at school and they hadn't done _it_ since the Christmas break, but it did felt great, like it was all they needed to connect and be normal again. She sat next to Hestia and received three glares.

'You. Him?' asked Hestia.

'What?'

'Mary is feeling like shit because of his best friend and you're all friendly and cuddly.' Said Emmeline. 'Explain yourself.'

Lily sighed and looked away angrily.

'Look, I am not breaking up with him because of Mary – sorry, Mary – and we almost did last night. We almost broke up and I hated it, ok? So leave me alone, because I am hungry.' She picked up some eggs and sausages and began to eat, ignoring her friends' glares.

'What if he's a jerk like Black?' asked Mary.

'He's not. An neither is Sirius.'

'You're taking his side?'

'No! Like James said, there are no sides to be taken!' said Lily. 'He just wants you to be happy with someone who'll treat you nicely and love you properly. He won't. So get over it.'

'Shouldn't she even try?' asked Hestia.

'Mary? Do you want to try and get together with Sirius? Don't you agree that that was reasonable in some level? Completely bonkers and to how he did it, but the intentions were good, right?'

Mary looked at her. Lily always felt closer to Mary than to any other of her friends and now she felt the bond. She felt Mary's pain but she knew her friend understood.

'I get it. I'm not over it, because I really do like him, but I understand. It sucks, though.'

Lily smiled. 'It does. But, hey, there are some cute guys around…'

'Are we dropping this, then?' asked Hestia.

'I guess…' said Mary. 'I'm still not comfortable around Sirius.'

'It's ok, sweetie. We've got your back.' Said Emmeline.

Mary smiled. 'Lily, tell James to kick Sirius' butt on practice tonight.' They laughed.

'I will.' Said Lily.

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Lily was curled up against James, reading for a Charm assignment, and he was reading as well, but just for pleasure. She then put her book down and looked up at him.

'So you memorise the poems?' she asked.

He looked at her oddly. 'What?'

'I mean, you have an eidetic memory for poems? Because I looked The Quarrel up and you said every word right.'

'Hm, I guess… I suppose that's my thing.'

'Your thing?' she sat up and stared at him. 'What do you mean?'

James sat straight and smiled. 'You know… You have a group of friends and each have a thing… Like you and your friends… You are the big studious person, Mary is the sweet, advice-giving person, Emmeline is weirdly the only one remotely interested in sports – yep, I know you hate Quidditch, but I don't care – and Hestia likes fashion and stuff.' He said.

'I never noticed that before…'

'Oh, yeah. Every close group of friends have "things" like that. For instance, the Marauders: Peter likes food. He eats and makes food, and he's pretty good at cooking, by the way. Sirius likes music. He plays the guitar and the piano!'

'Really? I always thought he had a nice singing voice…'

'Yeah, he can totally sing… As opposed to the rest of us, who sound like a bunch of cats in a fence, crying out to the moon. Anyway, Remus can draw. He does great drawings, but never shows them to anybody. And I like poems… I memorise them…'

'Wow.' She said. 'Wow. I cannot believe I've known you for years and this is the first I'm hearing of this…'

James chuckled and nodded. 'I don't broadcast it, Lily. I'm lanky, have crazy hair, wear glasses and I'm a nerd… If people found out I like poems as well, let's just say I wouldn't be nearly as popular as I am.'

Lily shook her head. 'Well, I think that's very cute. I love that you're lanky because I fit perfectly against you when we hug. I think your hair is adorable and the fact that you are a nerd is really, super sexy.' She whispered, kissing him on the mouth and he smiled.

'God, I love you.' He moaned. Lily giggled and hugged him.

'Yeah, you do!'

'You're way too cocky, Evans…'

'Well, one of us has to be…' she joked, smiling playfully. His eyes went wide and he threw a cushion at her. Lily started to laugh and run around the room while being chased by a pillow-throwing James, who was also laughing.

'Take that back! Do not mock the Sea Serpent!'

Lily laughed again and he caught up to her, hugging her from behind and lifting her up.

'Stop it!' she yelled, laughing. 'Cut it out!'

'Never!' he put her down and started to tickle her.

'Is it a tickle fight you want?' she asked in the middle of giggles. 'Well, get that!' Lily began tickling him and, an hour later, they were both lying on the floow, still laughing, look red and flushed.

'This was awesome.' Said Lily. James chuckled and nodded. Then he stood up.

'I need another shower…. Wanna join me?' he crooked an eyebrow and smirked.

'No way… Go on, leave!' she threw him a cushion and he laughed.

'Oh, you so want me…' he sang while going up the stairs.

Lily stood there, smiling widely and shook her head.

'That boy…' she whispered and then went up her own stairs.

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**N/A: Hello! Enjoyed it? Hated it? Please, review and leave me a comment and tell me! I love inputs and critiques and stuff… Go on. I dare you to talk to me! Muahahaha! Anyway, ahem, hope you liked it… I'll try and get a new one by tomorrow. Til then, Marauder-on!**


	34. Future Ahead

**N/A: Hello, Limers! Not to give away spoilers – although it's fine since you'll reading this anyway – but this will be a fairly good chapter for those of you who are my faithful Sirius/Mary shippers. Go on, then...**

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#34 – Future Ahead

'That's it. I wasn't accepted. Finito.' Sighed Hestia during breakfast on a Friday in late January. The girls were sitting together on their regular seats – they had been sitting away from the guys ever since the Sirius-Mary situation. That really bothered Lily because she wanted to spend time with her boyfriend, so she rolled her eyes at her friend's comment and kept eating her eggs.

'No one got accepted yet.' Said Emmeline. 'I applied too, remember?'

'Yeah. Besides, the Ministry accepts everybody. You know how many people apply for the Prophet against how many places they have?' said Mary. 'It sucks that I want to be a writer, right?'

'Come on. You'll be accepted. Well, get a conditional offer, anyways.' Said Lily, standing up. 'I have to go. Wanna get to class early.'

'You want to get your boyfriend and have a little snogging session before class, don't you?' asked Hestia, smirking. Lily chuckled.

'Yeppers.' Lily said, leaving her friends and approaching the boys, who seemed to be laughing at a joke Remus had told. 'Hey...' she said, hugging James from behind. He smiled and looked up at her.

'Hello, dove. Come, sit with us guys.'

'Yeah, Lily! Join us...' said Sirius, smiling sincerely at her. That was when she realised that she actually had missed her boyfriend's friends. They had become her friends and she hated to be apart from them.

'I really wish I could stay... But I miss my boyfriend.' She smiled and dragged a smiley James away by the collar.

'We just saw each other this morning. In our Dorm. Where we live together. Every day.' James said as Lily pulled him. She smiled.

'Yeah. But I still miss you. Because it sucks that we can't have breakfast together anymore. Our friends are stupid.'

'They are... Very stupid.' Said James, pressing Lily against the wall near the dungeons. He leaned down and kissed her. They stayed like that until a throat clearing was heard a few feet away. James and Lily parted, eyes wide.

'Lily, Mr. Potter.' Said Professor Slughorn with a weird look.

'Hi, Professor...' said Lily, stuttering and blushing.

'Professor.' Said James, looking anywhere but at the Professor or his girlfriend.

'Well, hm, once you finish hatever it is that you are doing, please do come in and help me set up everything inside, will you?' he asked.

'Sure... Hm, James?'

James nodded and they both went into the Potions classroom.

'That was so embarassing!' whispered Lily. James chuckled and nodded.

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On the next morning, when Lily and James arrived at the Great Hall, they looked at each other and nodded. They were going to put their plan into action.

'Ready?' James asked. Lily showed her thumbs up.

'Ready!'

Then they sat on the middle of the table. Between other Gryffindors and far away from their friends.

'What if they don't join us, though?' Lily asked.

'They will.'

Then Sirius and Remus appeared next to them.

'What are you doing here?' asked Sirius.

'Having breakfast. 'replied James through a mouthful of cereal.

'We don't seat here.' Said Remus. 'We sit all the way over there!'

'Nope. Today we're sitting here.' Said Lily.

Hestia approached them ans smacked Lily in the head.

'Up. Now. Let's go.'

'Bloody ow, Hestia! And no. I'm not leaving this spot.' Said Lily. 'Why don't you all join us?'

Hestia seemed torn. She had also wanted to go back to the old days because, honestly, the boys were a lot of fun and she missed laughing at their stupid jokes over meals. She sighed.

'I'll talk to Em and Mary.' She said, then turned around and left.

James was having a staring contest with Sirius and Remus. Then Remus shrugged and sat next to Lily.

'Yey!' she said, giving him a hug. 'We did it, honey!'

'Yeah, we did!' said James, smiling. Sirius sat down next to him and they waited for Peter, who realised they had been gone after finishing his third omelette.

'So we're all together now?' he asked. Lily and James nodded and happily. A few moments later, they were joined by Hestia, Emmeline and Mary.

'Tell me a joke so I feel this is all worthwhile.' Said Hestia, sitting next to Lily. The other two sat down as well, Mary and Sirius obviouslt avoiding looking at each other.

'Knock knock.' Said James.

'Who's there?' asked Lily.

'You know.' He said.

'You-know-who? Oh! I get it! It's rubbish!' she said, laughing.

Hestia rolled her eyes and Emmeline laughed.

'Wow, least funny joke ever!'

'I love it!'

'Look how happy Lily is, sitting across from Mr Evans...' said Mary. Lily and James smiled.

Professor McGonagall was handing out forms to the other senior students, then she arrived at the Gryffindor table. She handed something to Marlene McKinno, who was sitting with Harrison from the Quidditch team, then she went to the Marauders and the girls.

'Good morning.' She said.

'Minnie!' yelled James and Sirius. McGonagall rolled her eyes and handed the forms to the girls. Then she left.

'What is this?' Lily asked, opening hers. 'Oh, God! It's a conditional offer for the Auror program!'

'We got ours, too! For the Ministry, though...' said Emmeline, scanning her document and Hestia's.

'The Daily Prophet says they'll love to have me as long as I get at least six Os in my N.E.! Yey!' said Mary.

'This is great!' said Lily.

'Look who's all important now... We have Ministry, Aurorship and a journalist!' said James.

'True. It's good to be influencial nowadays, eh?' said Remus.

'I agree. They'll be much easier to bribe if we ever need it.' Said Sirius.

'But, guys... You didn't get anything!' said Hestia.

'Brilliant deduction, Sherlock.' Said James. 'That's because we didn't apply.'

'Why not?' asked Lily. 'It's your future! You have to apply for things! Did you forget? Were you busy doing Marauder things?'

'No... We'll be trained by Moody for the Order.' Explained Sirius. 'We talked to Dumbledore and Minnie. Well, Prongs did, and we decided not to go to Auror training.'

'Yeah. Besides, it'll be impossible for me to get in anyway, with my "furry litte problem" and all.' Said Remus.

'Are you seriously going to do this?' asked Hestia. 'It's your future, guys!'

'Our future is to protect people. We can do that by spending four years in Auror training, then joining the Order, or we can just join and receive training from Moody himself.' explained James. 'And I don't want to hang around, writing little notes on my little jotter while Muggles and Muggleborns get killed by Voldemort.'

Lily looked at him. She had never loved him more. At that moment, James was the most beautiful person in the world. She stood up and leaned across the table and gave him a kiss. They had an agreement never to kiss in front of other students – like in the Grat Hall or in packed corridors – or in front of teachers, although the Slughorn incident from the day before had shot that horse in the face. But Lily didn't care at that moment, because James was sacrificing himself, his own well-being, so keep her and people like her safe. She'd never loved him more.

'Get a room, will you?' asked Sirius, pretending to vomit. Lily shot him a glare.

'I love you.' She said, turning to James again and receiving a small smile back.

'I love you more.'

'Impossible.' She whispered and sat back down.

'Aren't you chivalrous?' smiled Hestia. 'What happens after the war, though?'

'We'll worry about that later.' Said Remus. 'I mean, they will. I have no future prospects. Yey!'

'You could always teach here. You'd be a great DADA teacher, Moony.' Said Sirius matter-of-factly.

'Yeah, as if any parents would let their children be taught by anyone like me.'

'It'not like it'll be written on the Hogwarts letters, right?' said James. 'Besides, your furry little problem is irrelevant. You'd be an awesome teacher!'

'Can we change the subject, please?' moaned Remus, staring at his plate.

They all shrugged.

'When is the next Quidditch match?' asked Emmeline.

'In ten days.' Replied James with a smirk. 'Versus Hufflepuff. They're rubbish this year.'

'So it should be easy, right? Can we please stop practicing six days a weeks?' whined Sirius.

'Of course not! This is our last year! We can't lose! We're winners! And I want a bloody trophy!' bellowed James, stuffing his chest and assuming a very solemn pose.

'How can you win if the Captain and Lead Chaser's big head sticks him to the ground?' asked Hestia and they all laughed.

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'And this essay is due next Friday. No excuses!' said Professor McGonagall at the end of the lesson. They had a two-feet parchment essay about the differences between self-transfiguration, Metamorphomagi and Animagi. Lily rolled her eyes as James dragged her out of the classroom. It was the last class of the day and they had a Prefects meeting before dinner.

'This sounds like such a boring homework.' She whined.

'Aren't they all?' he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

'Well, some are nice... You should get an O on yours...' she smiled.

James chuckled. 'Yeah. Sirius will definitely get an O. His cousin Adromeda's daughter is a Metamorphomagus.' He said and Lily's eyes went wide.

'Really? Hos old is she?'

'She'll be eight this year, I think... I'm not good with dates, but I'm pretty sure she's seven now.'

'That is really cool! I've never met a Metamorphomagus...'

'That's because they are extremely rare. You seldom see them prancing around on the street, changing their hair colour and nose shape.' James said, chuckling.

'You are way too smart. Something went very wrong in your formation.' Lily said as they approached the meeting room.

'What do you mean?'

'Handsome, smart and good at sports? Nope. There has to be something wrong with you...' Lily smirked.

'Oh, yeah? What is it?' he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

'You are a very, ver bad kisser...' Lily whispered. James opened a lopsided smile and leaned closer to her.

'We'll have to change that...' he whispered back and she smiled smugly.

'After the meeting.' She said, leaving him in the corridor and walking into the room. James chuckled and shook his head.

'Oh, boy...'

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After dinner, as they left the Great Hall to the comfort of their Common Rooms, Sirius pulled Mary aside.

'Hey.' He said, trying to smile. She looked at him and lifter an eyebrow.

'What's up?' she asked.

'I wanted to know if you still hate me...'

'I don't hate you. I can't hate you, you dumbnut.' She said, smacking his head. He smiled.

'Good.'

They were silent then. Mary looked at him, staring at the grund, biting on his lower lip, and smiled

'Thank you.' She said.

'For what?' he looked at her questioningly.

'For wanting to protect Muggles and Muggleborns. And for wanting to fight and not just sit comfortably in your golden nest, waiting for the war to end.'

Sirius chuckled. 'It was a silver nest, actually. The golden one was saved for Reg.' Mary laughed. 'I want you to know, Mary, that if it weren't for this war and all this bad stuff that put people's lives in danger, I'd date the hell out of you.' He said. Mary looked at him and smiled.

'We'll wait, then. When this is over, you can buy me a butterbeer.' She got on her toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek, then left. Sirius smiled and sighed in relief.

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Sergio was purring on the sofa. He was all spralled out on it, with his belly in the air, looking very satisfied. Lily rolled her eyes.

'You are way to comfortable here, mister.' She said, sitting on the floor. 'When your Daddy comes back from Quidditch practice, I'll get him to remove you from there. Hestia just did my nails, so I get afford to have you messing it up.'

Sergio just meowed in reply and she rolled her green orbs once again. Lily began to work on her god-awful Transfiguration essay and twenty minutes later, her sweaty boyfriend walked in, draggin his broomstick and his tired best friend behind him.

'Sirius! To what do I and King Sergio owe this pleasure?' she asked, smiling at him, who sat down on the comfy chair and moaned.

'This is soooo goooood...' he said.

'Get a room.' James said, picking up Sergio and sitting on the sofa. The cat hissed and James shushed him. 'You are a cat. You do not deserve the whole sofa to yourself. Get a grip.' He let the cat go and it went upstairs, probably yo lie on his little bed.

'Such a good chair!' moaned Sirius.

'God, Sirius, stop doing that! It's gross.' Said Lily, standing up from the floor and sitting next to James on the sofa, giving him a kiss on the lips. 'Hi.'

'Hi...' he said, smiling.

'I'm gross? You should see yourselves!'

'Shut up!' said Lily, throwing a pillow at him. 'How was practice?'

'James kicked our arses!' said Sirius. 'I'm pretty sure he could beat Hufflepuff by himself that way...'

'Yeah, well, after losing against Ravenclaw, we can't afford to lose anymore points! Besides, it wasn't that bad. And I'll give you two days off before the match anyways.'

'Hooray!' cheered Sirius sarcastically. James rolled his eyes. 'Lily! Guess what?'

'What?'

'Mary isn't mad at me anymore!'

'You talked to her?'

'Yeah! And she said it's all good. Awesome, right?'

'Really awesome! That's great! I'm so happy for you!'

'I'll take a shower while you girls gossip. Excuse me.' Said James, standing up and going to his bedroom.

'So are you guys friends or what?' asked Lily. Sirius sat up and rested his chin on his hand.

'I guess. I told her I'll take her out after the war.' He smiled.

'Awesome! I think you guys would be cute together. And not just because she'll be my Maid of Honour and you'll be the Best Man...' Lily said, then realised what she had said and covered her mouth with both hands while Sirius laughed.

'Merlin's beard! You've been dating for four moths!'

'Please don't tell James!'

'Oh, come on! He has a book about weddings...' Sirius said, rolling his eyes. 'It's very stupid. But still, I think it's good that you think that... He's not alone...'

'Nope. I can totally see myself getting married in the future. To him. And you are going to be Best Man.' Lily smiled. Sirius nodded.

'Heck yeah! I'll throw the best Stag Party ever!'

'Well, that should be ironic...' said Lily and Sirius snorted.

'Oh, man! I'd never noticed that before!'

'Such an idiot...' Lily playfully rolled her eyes. 'Now leave!'

'Why?'

'Because you reek!'

'Ah, come on! Prongs and I are doing the Transfiguration essay together...'

Lily sighed. 'But you're all sweaty and gross...'

Sirius rolled his eyes and picked up his wand. He pointed at himself.

'_Scourgify_!' he bellowed and a few moments later, he was shiny and new. 'Magic, Lily... Remember?'

Lily chuckled. 'Oopsie... Forgot... Great! I'll join you! Mine is rubbish!'

James came down the staircase wearing flanel pajama bottoms and a green T-shirt.

'Ready for some homework magnificence?' he asked, smirking and sitting on the chair opposite to Sirius'. He brought out his wand and summoned his material and placed it on the coffee table. 'Will the fair lady be joining us on this fine evening?'

'Yes, I will, darling sir.' Lily said, taking a bow and sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table. Sirius joined her and shook his head.

'You two are very weird.' He said.

'Whatever! Let's work!' said James, putting his fist in the air, causing Lily and Sirius to laugh, and then they began doing their essay.

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**N/A: Another one done! By the way, guys, I am not emotionally ready for tomorrow... How can one be? Oh, man... I'll die tomorrow. I will. So sad. Why! Why? Anyway, erm, I'll definitely post a new chapter tomorrow as a tribute to their lives, so that's that. Hopefully you liked this one! Please review, ask questions, dish me or whatever. See you tomorrow! 'Til then, Marauder-on!**


	35. Freaks and Geeks

**N/A: Hi. This is for all of you. All of you who fell in love with their love. Who get sad everytime you hear about their deaths. Who hates that they aren't respected enough throughout the whole story. You're not alone. We are strong and we support Lily and James Potter and we'll love them til the end. **

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#35 – Freaks and Geeks

_My bands of silk and miniver_

_Momently grew heavier; _

_The black gauze was beggarly thin;_

_The ermine muffled mouth and chin;_

_I could not suck the moonlight in._

_Harlequin in lozenges_

_Of love and hate, I walked in these_

_Stripd and ragged rigmaroles;_

_Along the pavement my footsoles_

_Trod warily on living coals. _

"Full Moon" – Elinor Wylie

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Prongs ran. He ran and ran, being chased by the large werewolf. Moony was particularly angry that night. The moon was shining too bright, the water on the lake moved strongly in tight unwelcoming waves. Padfoot ran after the big wolf, trying to catch him, but he was much too fast and Prongs slipped, falling down and almost breaking one of the front legs. He looked up and saw Wormtail trying to help him up. Moony approached faster. He got closer and closer and then stopped once a howel was heard from behind him. Padfoot.

_Dammit, Pads, I've got this!_ Thought Prongs, standing up and running after the werewolf.

He found the two canines in the middle of a fight. Moony bit Padfoot on the neck and got bit back on the back leg. Prongs tried to get in, but Wormtail stood before him and shook his mousy head.

So they watched as the werewolf and the dog fought. They fought and fought and then it was over. Padfoot breathed heavily and was bleeding all over. Moony jumped up and down, shaking his tail, seeming to smile. It was just a game to him. The stronges of all, he never got hurt after their fights. Prongs look at the sky and he saw that the pitch black darkness was being substitued by the dark grey that would eventually become red and so to give room for the sun to shine brightly on that day. The stag shook his head at the dog and the rat and the three of them began to take the werewolf back to the Shrieking Shack.

Once there, Moony fell asleep. He snored loudly and so the other three left, limping, to go back to their lives in the castle.

In front of the Great Entrance, Prongs, Padfoot and Wormtail went back to their human forms and Sirius moaned in pain. His neck and right leg was bleeding.

'Fuck.' He said, trying to stop the bleeding. Peter looked at him nervously.

'Come one, Padfoot. Lily can take care of it.' Said James, whose arms were swollen and torso was also bleeding.

'Boy, that hurt...' whispered Sirius. 'Why was he so angry tonight?'

James shrugged. 'Dunno. I reckon that maybe the fact that we're all stressed about the final exams is taking a toll on Moony.' He said.

'We should tell Minnie that.' Said Sirius with a smirk.

'What?' asked Peter, the only one who, as always, remained almost scratchless.

'That even the werewolf is stressed out with her homework load.'

James laughed and Peter didn't seem to understand.

'I don't get it.'

'Never mind, Wormy.' Said Sirius, patting on his friend's head and flintching in pain afterwars. 'Fucking hell!'

As soon as they paiting hole opened to let them into the Heads Dorm, the boys saw a red headed figure stand up from the sofa in a second and jump on James' neck, sniffing.

'Oh, Merlin! I was so worried! I felt that you were hurt and in danger and I didn't know what to do and—'

'Oi, Evans. Too fast. Let me in.' Sirius said, limping into the room. James, however, cupped her face with his hands and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose.

'I'm fine, dove. I almost fell and broke my arms, that's all. Sirius is pretty bad, though.'

Lily sniffed again and nodded. 'I'll take care of it.' She smiled small and James smiled back. Peter walked in as well and sat on the comfy chair.

'Thanks, Lily.' Said Sirius after she had healed his wounds and cleaned off the blood. Lily smiled back and began working on James.

'Are you ok?' he asked.

'Why do you ask?'

'You haven't said anything since we arrived...'

'It's nothing. Just... I'm just worried, that's all. But you're all fine, so that's good.' She smiled and cleaned his blood as well. James stood up and gave her a hug. Lily hugged him by the waist and burried her face on his shirt, soaking up on his smell. 'Thanks...' she said, after they parted. 'Are guys sleeping here tonight?'

Peter and Sirius shrugged.

'Sirius probably should. He's still pretty bad.' Said James. Lily agreed and nodded.

'Yep. You can go if you want, Peter.'

'Cool. Thanks. Be well, guys.' He said, smiling and leaving. Sirius sighed.

'I'm fine!'

'No, you are not. You need some sleep. Both of you. Go on.' She said, motioning for them to leave.

'Where am I supposed to sleep?' Sirius asked and Lily rolled her eyes, picking up her wand again and conjuring a mattress, two pillows and a duvet and charming them up James' staircase.

'Now go! And no chatting!' she said, giving each of the boys a kiss on the cheek and climbing her own staircase.

'She's like your mother.' Said Sirius.

James chuckled and they went to sleep.

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Saturday afternoon on a February. The sun was out and it was warm enough to get out only in sweats. The students of Hogwarts were mostly lying on the margins of the Lake, reading for assignments or writing essays and doing homework. Except for two boys. James and Sirius were alseep under their usual tree. They were surrounded by books that showed they did have the intention to study, but they had been so tired the past days with Quidditch and the Full Moon that it was only a matter of seconds before they fell asleep on their notes.

Remus and Lily were passing by, looking for them, when they found the two boys snoring away. Lily rolled her eyes and Remus chuckled.

'They are sleeping! Can you believe it?'

'Actually...' began Remus, who still looked a bit sick from the Full Moon. 'it's understandable. They've been studying just like us, except that they also have to practice for Quidditch and they had to help me... That has to be very tiring...'

'I guess you're right. Let's wake them up.'

'Fine But let me do it!' said Remus excitedly. Lily raised an eyebrow, but shrugged, stepping away knowing that it would probably be something Marauder-ish and, therefore, there would probably be spilling involved. Remus smirked and raised his wand, motioning it quickly. Then, out of the blue, a ball of some kind og green slimy thing started to form out of thin air and, once it reached Remus' wanted size, it dropped on the boys' faces. They were awake within milisseconds, screaming and coughing. Plus, Sirius shrieked like a little girl.

Remus and Lily bent over laughing to tears. They held their stomachs as Sirius and James tried to figure where they were, who they were and where that thing had come from.

'Oh, Merlin! That was priceless!' said Lily, wiping a few tears away. Slimy-James looked at her confused and tried to clean his glasses.

'What happened?' he asked scared.

'You were asleep and Remus decided to wake you up.' She answered. 'Scourgify!' Lily cleaned them and smiled.

'Thanks.' Said James and Sirius in unison. They stood up and exchanged and michievous look. Then they looked at Remus and smirked.

'You decided to wake us, then?' asked Sirius. Remus gulped and nodded.

'Well, you know...'

'TACKLE HIM!' yelled James, jumping on Remus. Sirius followed and the three boys were rolling on the floor, playfully wrestling. Lily rolled her eyes and sighed.

'I'm going.' She said, leaving them to be ten-year-olds alone.

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On the next day, Lily found herself also burried in books. She was in the library since it had begun to rain, and she really wanted to leave and eat something, but her Charms essay was almost done. Almost. She sighed.

Hestia walked in and Lily's head went up to see her friend, who raiser her eyebrows upon seeing her there.

'What are you doing here?' asked Hestia. Lily looked around at her books and pieces of parchment and wondered how her friend could be so thick.

'Studying, perhaps?' said Lily, smiling. Hestia rolled her eyes.

'Yes, I can see that... But why are you studying now?'

'Because we have N.E. in a few months and they define our whole future career choices?' said Lily again, finding the game slightly less amusing.

Hestia sat in front of Lily and sighed. 'Lily, it's Valentine's day!' she mumbled annoyed. Lily's eyes went wide.

'What?'

'Valentine's day! You know. With the candy hearts and the sappy love songs? I thought you'd know, since you have the yummy boyfriend this year.'

'But I didn't even—How?'

'Oh, Merlin! James forgot!' exclaimed Hestia, receiving and mighty shush from Madame Pince.

'I can't believe we forgot Valentine's day! Isn't that the whole point of dating? Remembering stupid dates and romantic holidays?'

Hestia laughed and stood up, taking Lily's arm and dragging her out of the library. 'Let's go! Confront the boyfriend!'

Lily rolled her eyes and went alone. Mostly because it should be pretty funny seeing Hestia yelling at James for forgetting such an "important date".

...

They entered the packed Gryffindor Common Room and Hestia started to look for any sign of the boys.

'Where are they?' she asked. Lily looked around and spotted her boyfriend's unruly hair coming out of the book he was reading for Potions. Sirius was sleeping next to him with his mouth open and Remus was trying to get paper balls into his mouth while James quized him. 'A-ha!'

The girls went up to the boys and Hestia cleared her throat.

'Hello.' She said. Remus and James looked up and smiled at them.

'Hey! What's up?' asked Remus.

'Hi!' said James, sounding very tired.

'James, you need to rest—'began Lily, but she was interrupted by Hestia.

'No! Do not be nice to him! James, you are the most inconsiderate boyfriend in the world!' she bellowed.

'Why?' James asked, his voice trembling with fear.

'It's Valentine's day! And Lily was sitting alone in the library studying when she should've been snogging you for getting her the pretties set of diamons in the world!'

Remus, James and Lily raised eyebrows at that.

'She isn't quoting me, by the way.' Said Lily, smiling weakly. Truthly, even though she herself had forgotten the date, she would never expect him to forget it. And it was their first, so it was kind of a big deal. Right?

'Oh, yeah... I do have something for you... But I didn't see you all day, so I figure you'd be too busy studying to want to hang out.' Said James, sadly. Lily looked at him and smiled.

'I'm never too busy for you...' she said, sitting next to him and kissing him on the cheek. 'Besides, I forgot about Valentine's day anyway, so it doesn't matter.'

'How adorable...' said Remus. He picked up a piece of parchment and got it into a ball and threw it at Sirius, who woke up startled and being almost suffocated by the paper in his mouth.

'Fuck you, Remus!' he said after getting everything out of his mouth. 'Oh, hey, ladies.'

The guys rolled their eyes.

'Sirius, quiz Remus. I'm spending the rest of the day with Lils.' James got up and took Lily's hand. 'Bye, Hestia!'

'I wanted to kick you!' the couple heard Hestia yell as they left the Common Room.

Once in the silent corridor, James pulled Lily closer and kissed her.

'Hi.' He said after the kiss.

'Hey...' she replied, smiling widely. 'You should get some rest... You look so tired, honey.'

'Yeah... I am. But we have to have a nice Valentine's day!' he exclaimed happily.

Lily dragged him by the hand. 'We're going to our dorm.'

'But—'

'No. No discussion, Mr Potter. We are going to our dorm, get one of the elves to bring us food.'

'And...?' he asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking at her. She laughed.

'And we'll sit on the sofa and talk like a proper young couple.'

'And after that?'

Lily smiled. 'After that I'm going to snog you senseless, Potter.'

'Bring it, Evans.'

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**N/A: I know it's short, but it sums up the happy times I wanted to show ^^ I hope you liked it. They forgot Valentine's Day, ha-ha. Anyway! Yeah, as always, review, comment, whatever tickles your fancy. I'll see you on the next chapter. 'Til then, Marauder-on. **

_**R.I.P. James and Lily Potter**_


	36. Truth Under the Sheets

**N/A: Hello! Long time no see. Completely my fault, I know. I was horrible, leaving you with that lousy short chapter then going away for three day! But no longer! I was just very busy with school and stuff. So, yeah, I'll try and write longer chapters from now on. And better ones, since mine I am apparenly not being too accurate or my spelling is really bad, like some of you have been saying on the comments. It's cool, comments are made for that. You should observe and criticise, so thanks. By the way, I was really upset that no one commented on the poems I chose for the last two chapters. You know how hard it is to find a good poem? Anyway, yeah, that made me upset, but I'll live, so chop chop. Off you go. **

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#36 – Truth Under the Sheets aka Lily and James' Guide to Telling Your Friends that You and Your Significant Other Had Intercourse

'Are you postive about this?' asked James looking at his girlfriend who sat crosslegged on his bed, wearing his Quidditch jersey and her flanel short pajama bottoms. Her hair was tied up in a messy knot and it was almost time to go to sleep, so she wasn't wearing any make up. He thought she looked beautiful. But the subject of the conversation annoyed him enough that he didn't comment on it.

'Yes, I am. We can't keep going like this.' She said solemnly as she kept stroking Sergio's gently.

'But it's... It's going to be awful...' he moaned. He sat in front of her and crossed his legs as well. James put his hand on her knee. 'It'll be a disaster.'

'We can do it separately!' she said, smiling. 'It'll be fine. Besides, it's been over two months. I think they're onto us.'

'Fine!' he threw his arms in the air and sighed loudly. 'But if Sirius starts to taunt you, I will not defend your honour!'

'Yes, you will, honey.' She grinned and he sighed again.

'You know me way too well, Evans.'

'Observing is a talent, Potter.' She said with a smirk. Then she gave him a kiss and stood up. 'Sleepy time. Goodnight, sweetie. Love you.'

'Night, dove. I love you!'

Lily left his bedroom and he lay on his bed, trying to come out with a non-awkward way of telling his best mates that he had had sex with the girl of his dream on Christmas and didn't tell them about it.

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James was walking nervously to the Kitchens, where he would meet his friends and tell them. He was rehearsing his speech mentally, but he knew very well that he was going to forget everything and start to stutter and mumble once he actually started talking. He tickled the pear and walked in. Remus and Sirius were reading the same page on the Charms book and Peter was absent.

'Where's Wormtail?' he asked, raising an eyebrow. Sirius shrugged.

'I dunno. He's been away a lot lately.' He said.

'Do you reckon he got himself a girlfriend?' asked Remus with a smirk and three boys burst out laughing.

'Yeah, right.' Snorted Sirius.

After a few moments of silence that were only filled by an elf talking James' order and bringing his food, he decided to talk.

'I need to tell you guys something.' He said anxiously. James never liked to talk about _it_. He felt very uncomfortable. And it was no problem with Sirius, who talked about it all the time.

'What?' they asked in unison.

'I did something...' James said. They raised eyebrows and stared at him, puzzled.

'What did you do?' asked Sirius, noticing that James was not going to speak up easily.

'Well, yeah... Ok. I did... Hm... I didn't really do as much as I had... Or made... Hm...'

'Will you get to the point?' asked Remus impatiently. 'I'm trying to study for the N.E.W.T.s that are but four moths away...'

'Ok! Fine! Hm... !' he exclaimed rapidly.

'Ok. Good. Now slower so we can actually understand what your saying.' Said Sirius, rolling his eyes.

James took a deep breath and looked anywhere but at his friends. 'Lily and I had sex during the Christmas holidays and we didn't want to tell you.' He said, then looked at Remus and Sirius to find them gobsmacked and wide-eyed.

'You had what?' asked Sirius. 'Why didn't you tell us?' he asked in a shrill voice.

'Yeah... She, hm, she kind of surprised me on Christmas – after everyone went to bed – and we sort of did it... More than once, actually...' he said, a small smile creeping on his lips.

'That's great, man!' congratulated Remus, smiling. James smiled back and then looked at Sirius, who was very angry-looking.

'What's wrong?' he asked.

'What's wrong? You're my best mate! You're supposed to tell me these things! I told when it happened to me!' bellowed Sirius.

'Well, you were drunk, so the telling doesn't really count! Plus, Lily didn't want people to know that we had... been intimate so soon and stuff... I don't mind, but apparently it's a big deal for girls...' he said. 'And it was go perfect that I didn't want to ruin it by telling people.'

'It's not people!' exclaimed Sirius, sounding hurt. 'It's me! We're brothers, man, and you just...'

'I'm sorry! Ok?' apologised James, looking at the floor. Remus was feeling very awkward in the middle of this, so he decided t end it.

'Guys, this is bullshit.' He said. Both James and Sirius looked up surprised because Remus never, ever used that kind of language. 'We're all best mates and we have to respect each other's choices, right?' both nodded. 'So, if James chose not to tell us until now, he had a good reason, but it's not up to us to judge that reason, we just have to be happy for him and Lily.'

Sirius sighed. 'I suppose you're right...' he whined. 'Ok. I really am happy for you, man...'

James smiled. 'Thanks! And thank you, Remus.' Remus shrugged and smiled.

'How was it?' he asked.

'Yeah! Was it good? Bad? Quick?' asked Sirius.

James sighed as the part he dreaded came. He didn't want to talk about technical details, but apparently his friends did and, after deciding not to tell them he had done it, James chose to at least give them this.

'Yeah... It was great.' He said sincerely. 'It was perfect. Lily's beautiful...' James knew he had a dreamy look in his eyes, but he couldn't help but to feel blessed by his relationship with Lily and for their love.

'How many times?' asked Sirius, ignoring the romance completely.

'Does it matter?'

'Have you ever done it since we've been back?' asked Remus and Sirius patted him on the shoulder and nodded.

'Good one! Have you?'

James cleared his throat and smiled shyly.

'Yeah... Just a couple of times, though... Like when she and I had that big fight because of you and Mary...' James explained. 'But it feels awkward because it's school...'

'Besides, Frank and Alice—'

'STOP IT! NOT LISTENING. LALALALA' James covered his ears with his hands, and Remus and Sirius started to laugh.

'I told you they were doing it.' Whispered Sirius and Remus rolled his eyes.

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'I was thinking these khakis with this top... Is this too much?' asked Hestia, while laying out outfits she had chosen for a date.

'They're all great.' Said Mary. 'But that red blouse it just stunning! You look abslutely gorgeous in it.'

'Agree!' said Emmeline. 'Lily, what do you think?'

Lily was spaced out and she woke up to reality with Emmeline snapping her fingers in front of her eyes. 'What?'

'Are you here?' asked Mary smirking.

'Yeah... Sorry.'

'Which blouse, Lils?' asked Hestia, picking up a torquoise one and a red one. Lily looked at them and pointed at the red. 'Red one it is.'

'I need to tell you something...' Lily said.

'Is everything alright?' asked Mary. Hestia and Emmeline looked concerned and they all sat on a circle around Lily.

'Are you and James ok?' asked Emmeline.

'Yeah. We're great. The bee's knees... Not what I need to tell you, though... I mean, it is related to him, but—Oh, I'll just say it.' She sighed and shook her shoulders. 'James and I made love during Christmas.'

Each had a different reaction.

Mary's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped.

Emmeline raised an eyebrow and looked puzzled, as if trying to do the Maths.

Hestia shrieked and jumped up and down excitedly.

'OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!'

'Oh my God, stop!' said Mary. 'Lily, are you serious?

'Yeah. We did.' Lily smiled weakly.

'That's great!' said Emmeline. 'Why didn't you tell us sooner?' she asked. Lily shrugged.

'I was scared you would say it was too soon and all that... I didn't want to ruin it.'

'We'd never do that! I mean, you decided you wanted to, right?' Hestia crossed her arms. Lily chuckled.

'Yeah. It took him by surprise. I got everything ready while he was in the shower...' she said.

'What do you mean, everything?' asked Mary, smiling.

Emmeline and Hestia satt closer and Lily knew she was going to have to tell the whole story.

' Well, when we were at Harrods, I saw this beautiful chemise, right? And I thought how perfect it would be fr my first time with James. I already knew I was giving that to him for Christmas, so I bought the chemise. On Christmas day, after we all went to bed, I snuck into his bedroom, put a Muffliato spell on the door and locked it, then began to decorate the room with candles and flowers, to make it romantic. I even put music on... It was great...' she finished. Her friends giggled and hestia pointed at her.

'You have the goofiest smile on you face, Lils... He must be really good.'

Lily went red. She felt herself blushing and her cheeks were burning. Her eyes were wide and she couldn't form words.

'Erm...'

'So... Is he?' pressed Emmeline. _Merlin, they really don't give up_, Lily thought.

'It was magnificent. He was magnificent. Tender and gentle... Just right. I think. I dunno. It was the first time... But it was so amazing!'

'Really? Because I read that normally first times are clumsy and messy and awkward.' Said Hestia. Lily shook her head.

'Nope. It was great! Really... I mean, we got better at it after a few times—'

'YOU DID IT MORE THAN ONCE?' asked the three girls in unison. Lily kicked herself mentally for mentioning it nonchalantly instead of preparing her friends for it. She nodded.

'Yeah...'

'How?'

'When?'

'Where?'

'Ok! One at a time!'

Mary went first. 'Where? In school? At the Potters?'

'Well, twice more at the Potters. Once in New Years and once two days before we got back.'

'What about in school?' asked Hestia, smiking and raising a playful eyebrow.

'Well... A couple of times... Once, actually after we fought over Sirius and Mary...'

'You're welcome.' Said Mary and the girls laughed.

'Ok, now. Is it much better now that you've done it four times?'

'I never said we only did it once at each time...' said Lily and the girls made "woo-hoo" noises, at which she blushed once again.

'Fine, then...' Hestia smiled. 'Is it muhc better after one thousand times?'

Lily chuckled. 'Not a thousand... And, well, not much better, but definitely an improvement... I guess we're still learning...' she smiled and shrugged. 'But it's great everytime.'

'I'm so happy for you, guys! I mean, it's such a big deal!' said Emmeline, hugging Lily, who hugged her back and smiled.

'Thank you! Yeah, it is, right? I feel much more connected to him now... Plus, you know when you date a guy and sometimes you're walking together and he looks at other girls?' the girls nodded. 'He stopped doing that. Not once. Ever since Christmas.'

'No way!'

'I'm serious! It's incredible! He only looks at me now!'

Hestia laughed. 'Maybe that's the cure for men. Mind-blowing, toe-twisting, dry-mouthing sex!'

'Stop yelling the word! People can hear you from outside.' Hissed Mary, who was the most uncomfortable talking about it. 'Besides, making love is supposed to be about it. Love, right? Not just to lock a guy up.'

'Well, whatever it is, you guys are adorable! I am really happy for you!' said Emmeline, closing the discussion.

Hestia rolled her eyes. 'Now that this is out of the picture, how about we get me some trousers?'

'Khakis!'

'Jeans!'

Lily looked as their friends went back to choosing outfits and smiled, realising how lucky she was for having such amazing people in her life. She chuckled slightly and joined the conversation. 'The brown skirt!'

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Lily, Mary and Emmeline walked into the Heads Dorm to study and the Marauders-minus-Peter were there, chatting. Sirius was making crazy movements with his arms and the other two were laughing.

'What are you laughing at?' asked Lily, sitting on the sofa next to James and kissing his cheek.

'Sirius was making some professors impressions. Hi-larious!' said Remus and James nodded, chuckling.

'Hi, Lily-no-longer-flower...' said Sirius with a cheeky grin. The other five's eyes went wide.

'Oh, no you didn't...' whispered Mary. Emmeline chuckled and nodded.

'What did you just say?' asked Lily, raising an eyebrow. The boys looked at her, scared. James held her hand.

'Honey, calm—'

'What did you just say?' she asked, louder and angrier.

'Erm, I—I'm sorry?'

'Oh, no! You don't!' she leaped from the sofa and ran towards Sirius, who started to run away from her and scream like a little girl.

'Heeeelp! She's insaaaaane!' he yelled and the rest of them, Lily excluded as she was running after him, were laughing hard at the scene. The red head caught up to him and grabbed his hair, then started to mess it up as he screamed as if some one was killing his mother. Although, in Sirius' case, he would be more upset about the hair.

After Lily was done with his hair, she let it go and smiled proud. She walked away from him and took her seat next to James, who high-fived her.

'I love so much right now.' He said in the midst of laughter.

'That was legendary!' said Remus, wiping a tear of laughter.

Sirius walked towards them looking grieved.

'My poor hair...' he whined.

'That's what you get from making inappropriate comments.' Said Emmeline. Sirius rolled his eyes.

'I'm sorry, Lily. I shall never make a reference to flowers, de-flowering and your name ever again.'

'And if you do, she'll do to your balls what she just did yo your hair.' James said and Remus snorted.

'Ha-ha. Hilarious.'

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'Geez, Lily, whare are you doing in there?' asked James, who was lying on Lily's bed, reading a magazine and waiting for his girlfriend to Oh-my-god-get out of the bathroom.

'Ok, I'm done.' She said from inside. 'We can go now.' Lily left the bathroom and smiled at him, doing a little pose for her boyfriend. She was wearing a brown knee-lenght denim skirt, a green turtle-neck sweater and turquoise flats. She put on her golden necklace and let her hair fall in loose curls framing her face. 'How do I look?'

James smiled at her, got up and kissed her.

'The most beautiful girl in the world.' He whispered. Lily smiled up at him and grabbed his hand.

'Let's go. We have to meet everyone at the Great Entrance in twenty minutes!' she said, and then they left.

Hogsmeade was beautiful in the end of the winter. Almost all the snow had already melted and everything was glowing with drops of water and ice. The Marauder-minus-Peter-again walked around with Emmeline, Lily and Mary, since Hestia was on a date. They ended up at the Three Broomsticks for lunch and Lily and James advised them not to eat the 'surprise dish'.

'Ooh, look at us... We are perfect. We have inside jokes.' Mocked Mary, at which Sirius and Remus laughed.

'True. We are. And we have. So eat it!' retorted Lily, stuffing her chest and posing proudly. She and James high-fived and the rest of the table rolled their eyes.

'So, who's Hestia's date?' asked Sirius.

'That Stebbins kid from Ravenclaw.' Said Lily.

'He's supposed to be really cute. Like, boyfriendwise...' Mary said. 'He dated Charlotte Moskowitz in the fourth year and she always spoke very highly of him...'

'Did he ask her out? Or was she bold as always?' asked Emmeline. 'I don't really know the story.' She explained, shrugging.

'I think he asked her during Magical Creatures last week.' Said Mary, looking at Lily.

'I dunno. I don't take Magical Creatures. But I think you're right. She said it was something cute involving a unicorn joke.'

'Of course!' Mary clasped her hand on her forehead. 'Yes! The unicorn joke! I remember now. Well, not the joke, but I remember that she laughed and he asked if she thought he was funny. She said "yes, you are very funny indeed" and he smiled and asked if she wanted to hear more jokes, she said "I'm friends with the Marauders, so I hear plenty already" and he chuckled and said "so just the meal, then?"... I thought that was adorable!' she said. Lily and Emmeline smiled and nodded.

'Very creative.'

'I liked it.' Said Lily. James looked at her shellshocked. 'Oh, relax. I loved the way you asked me out. It was perfect. I'm just saying that was cute.'

'Mine was better.' He whined. Sirius rolled his eyes.

'Such a drama queen.'

'Guy! Look!' Emmeline pointed outside and they saw Hestia walking hand-in-hand with Stebbins, smiling. Then he leaned down and kissed her. The girls made 'awn' noises and the guys cheered.

'Score!' exclaimed Sirius.

'Nice, Stebbins!' said Remus.

'Respect, dude.' James clapped his hands.

'Who would've thought Hestia wouldbe the other one with a boyfriend?' chuckled Mary.

'Well, with her, you never know.' Said Emmeline and they all nodded.

Madame Rosmerta arrived with four surprise dishes and two fish and chips. She smirked at James and Lily and left.

'I can't believe you actually ordered it!' said Lily, picking up a chip.

'I don't believe you! This may be good, ok?' said Sirius defiantly.

'Take a bite, then. I dare you.' Said James. Remus, Sirius, Mary and Emmeline cut the blob with the knife, picked up the piece of the fork and put it in their mouths. Two seconds later, they spit it out much like James and Lily had on their first date.

'Gross!'

'Disgusting!'

'I'm going to throw up!'

'Sweet Jesus, that is horrible!'

James and Lily smiled and high-fived again.

'Told ya.' They said in unison.

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**N/A: Hey-a! This is one down, eleven to go... Sobbing. Ok. Remember to review, comment or ask questions if you'd like. Also check out my tumblr .com if you want... That's about it... I will see you on the next one! 'Til then, Marauder-on!**

**P.S: I'll be doing the NaNoWriMo this month, but don't worry, because it will not affect this story in any way. I'll still post at least twice a week and it will all be as fabulous as ever! Bye sweetums! **


	37. Remembrance

**N/A: Hey! Sorry for the wait, but I did leave you with a relatively long chapter – okay, the scroller thing wasn't the size of a grain of sand, but you survived, right? Let's get on with this, shall we? **

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#37 – Remembrance

Easter came early in 1978.

As James woke up that morning, feeling woozy and unpleasantly high on air, he realised that what was making him so hollow that day was his body rejecting the idea that he'd lived a full year without his mother.

He had decided to go home for Easter just so he could support his father, but James learned that he wasn't the one doing the supporting.

'Morning, Dad.' He said, sitting on his regular spot on the breakfast table. Mr Potter looked up from his Prophet and offered his son an apologetic smile.

'Morning, son.' He said with his deep, mourning voice.

Sirius walked in afterwards, smiled at both the Potters and sat silently. The whole atmosphere in the Potter household was sad, even the wind and the colours and the flowers decided to lose their appeal and beauty.

'Erm, are we going to the... hm... today?' James asked, staring deeply into his bagel.

'If you want to... I know the last time you went was Christmas.' Mr Potter said. James nodded and turned to Sirius, who shrugged.

'You can go,' he said. 'but I wouldn't feel comfortable.'

'Why not?'

'I'm not a big fan of... Those places...'

'Fair enough.' Whispered James. 'Are you coming, Dad?'

'Oh, James... I've been there so many times in the past year. I think you should go alone... Your mother would be happy to see you...' Mr Potter told him, smiling weakly. James sighed and finished his breakfast in silence.

...

James didn't want to Apparate into the cemetery. He felt that it would be too simple. She deserved effort, so he walked out of his house wearing his black suit, white shirt, black tie and black Chuck Taylors, holding a bouquet of white and blue tulips and made his way to the Underground station. He got out of the train and climbed the staircase out of the station. He looked around and got lost for a moment, then turned left and made his way to the cemetery.

He stepped on the sparkly wet grass inside the threshold and inhaled deeply, the ritual he adopted as a child to give him strenght and courage to do things he didn't want to do. His mind travelled to the good times he had with his mother, all the laughter, advice, tears... James walked in and looked for his mothers grave.

He walked past many of them. William Richard, beloved son... Claire MacLaverty, dear mother... Liam O'Reilly, died in battle at the age of 19... So many people, so many lives lay underneath the grass, six feet under, in caskets that were chosen by their families, they were all bones now. Their remains were being eaten by bugs and there was nothing more that could be done for them. Their lived had ended. People had cried there, some of the people that cried were probably buried somewhere else, their lived also ended, their bodies also rotten. James' eyes started to fill with tears. He came to a simple marble grave.

_Elizabeth Florence Potter_

_A Beloved Mother, Wife and Friend_

_Will Always be Missed_

And under it there was a poem by Franklin P. Adams inscripted. James smiled at it, like every time, because it was one of his personal favourites.

_When I am dead and nervous hands have thrust_

_My body downward into careless dust;_

_I think the grave cannot suffice to hold_

_My spirit prisoned in the sunless mold!_

_Some subtle memory of you shall be_

_A resurrection of the life of me._

_Yea, I shall be, because I love you so,_

_The speechless spirit of all things that grow._

_You shall not touch a flower but it shall be_

_Like a caress upon the cheek of me._

_I shall be patient in the common grass_

_That I may feel your footfall when you pass._

_I shall be kind as rain and pure as dew,_

_A loving spirit 'round the life of you._

_Whe your soft cheeks by perfumed winds are fanned,_

'_Twill be my kiss—and you will understand,_

_But when some sultry, storm-bleared sun has set,_

_I will be darting if you dare forget!_

James kneeled in front of his mother's grave and put the flowers in front of it. He never made permanent flowers, because it was an excuse not to go. There couldn't be excuses. It was his mother. She raised him and made him a good man. He loved her. Still. And forever.

'Merlin... I miss you so much, Mum...' he whispered, sitting down and cross his legs. He traced her name with his finger. 'I still can't believe you're gone. It seems so unreal. I feel that there's this other dimension where you're alive and everything's perfect, no war, no fear, no pain... And you're there. We're all happy and laughing... And Lily's parents are there, too. And we have these big family dinners where Dr Evans teaches Dad about Muggle things and Dad explains him Quidditch... And you and Mrs Evans have tea and swap funny stories about Lily and me. And then, when I ask her to marry me, you two are very excited about it and you give your input on every single detail...' he chuckled. 'It'd be perfect, Mum... But now it sucks, because it's only us. Of course, I still have Dad, but I won't for much longer... And that's even worse...' the tears he was struggling to keep bottled in finally fell, wetting his cheeks stubbornly. James didn't wipe them away. There was no point in hiding that he was sad. Incredibly sad. Devastated. Blue. Dismal. Disconsolate. Blue. Dejected. And all other synonyms provided by any dictionary in the world. He sighed and stood up, looking at his watch and realised he'd been there for two hours.

'Always keeping me for longer than necessary, eh, Mum?' he joked, smiling and waving goodbye. 'I love you.' He said and left.

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The patterns on her ceiling had been distracting Lily for twenty minutes now. It was the longest she went the whole Easter break without thinking of James and his Mum. Except all she did was think about James and his Mum. How she missed him and how she wanted to be with him. But she couldn't. It wasn't her place to interfere with the anniversary.

'Sergio, come here.' She asked and the cat went, purring as she begant to stroke his fur. 'How do you think Daddy's doing?' she asked, looking at the cat.

It was around lunchtime and Lily was lying on her bed, being miserable like she thought a dutiful girlfriend would be. Sergio lay on her stomach. She couldn't help but smile at the feline.

'He's doing fine... Sad, but fine, right? I mean, he is James...' she said, trying to convice herself not to worry about him. The Lily stood up and walked past her dozens of open chocolate wrappers to go for lunch.

The Castle was mostly empty like at all holidays and Lily took time to herself, to relax before the exams started the next month. So, she walked slowly to the Great Hall, listening to snippets of conversations between the passing ghosts and the moving paintings. She'd always admired the beauty of the building, the magic of it. It would be magical even if there wasn't magic in it, just because it was so pure and immaculate and still so complex and used. A thousand years old, the Castle was, and how many lives had gone through it? How many people had learned the ways of magic in it? How many had found friends, love, enemies, truth, lies, or built a whole life? Lily looked down at her feet and thought of Elizabeth Potter. She imagined what she was like during her school years... James told her she had auburn hair, always in loose curls. She probably pranced around, laughing with her friends, proudly wearing her Head Gril badge, or holding hands with her boyfriend, Harold Potter, or carrying her heavy books to class because she_ had_ to get all Os in her final exams. With those thoughts, Lily smiled. They were so alike, it was very strange.

When she reached the entrance to the Great Hall, Lily almost didn't want to go in and be surrounded by people. Not too many people, granted, but thay blissful silence and peace would be over. She sighed and walked in.

'Hi!' said Mary. 'We were wondering if you were going to come...'

'Oh, I just needed to clear my head a bit...' Lily explained, as she sar down and began to choose what to eat. 'It's so weird here without the Marauders...'

'I know! I ws just saying that!' said Hestia. 'They're so loud that without them, it's like this void...'

'You are being too melodramatic, Hest...' commented Emmeline, rolling her eyes and pointing her pasta-holding fork at Lily. 'Her boyfriend's in London and she isn't as dramatic as you are right now!'

'Please, stop pointing a noodle at me...' asked Lily and they laughed.

'How are you holding up?' asked Mary a few minutes later, after silence fell. There were about twenty people overall in the Great Hall, but, unlike Christmas, all the table were separated and the teachers were all sitting on the faculty table. So they had to whisper if they didn't want their conversation to be echoed throughout the entire room.

Lily shrugged and sighed. 'I'm fine... But I'll be better when I see James.'

'Why do you figure?' asked Emmeline, who was sitting across from her.

'Well, I'm very worried about him. I don't know how he'll handle the anniversary. God, I don't know how I'll handle the anniversary. It's hard, I suppose, and he's just very emotional.'

'Is he?' Hestia raised an eyebrow. 'Because we hardly saw him actually being sad...'

'That's because he bottles it up, since he's never learned to deal with high amounts of sadness. It's dangerous to keep things inside, though, and his mum was his outlet...'

The girls nodded.

'Can we change the subject?' asked Emmeline. 'I feel bad talking about these things...'

'Sure, I'm sorry.' Said Lily. 'i'm just worried. It's natural, right?'

'Yes! It means you're a good girlfriend!' complimented Hestia, patting Lily's hand.

'Speaking of girlfriend...'began Mary, smirking. 'What about you and Stebbins?'

Hestia sighed and rolled her eyes.

'It was just a fling... It's over now... I'm onto better things! Bigger things! Don't wanna get attached in school... No offence, Lils.'

'Non taken...' Lily smiled. 'I really thought you were cute, though.'

'Nah... He's great and all, but I'm not a big fan of "the relationship"... I don't want to be refered to as "them" or "we"... I'm me!'

'Very philosophical...' said Emmeline and the other two nodded.

'Thanks...'

'But I'm not a "we" or "them"... I'm me, too!' protested Lily. 'And James is most certainly not a "them"... Every relationship is different. You shouldn't be in one because of how you look in it, but because of how you feel...'

'Wow. It's like I'm having lunch with Plato and Descartes!' laughed Mary.

'Ok. I'm done with lunch. What are we doing today?' asked Emmeline.

'I have some hom—'

'Don't you dare ditch us for homework again, Lily!' bellowed Hestia. Every head in the room turned to her and she waved them away. 'We should hang out and do something! Like, I don't know... OH! Makeovers!'

They were now walking out of the Great Hall and the three girls stared at Hestia incredulously.

'You are joking!' said Mary.

'Nope.' Hestia smiled. 'It'll be fun! We'll do make-up and hair! Come on! What's the point of magic if we can't use it for fun?'

'I don't know... Saving the world from Voldemort?' suggested Lily ironically.

'Aaaaaaaaand having makeovers! Come on!' Hestia ran in front of them to the Gryffindor common room and they followed, giggly.

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'You're not taking this to Hogwarts, are you?' asked Mr Potter, entering James' bedroom.

James looked up from the little black velvet box and shook his head.

'Nope. You told me to wai, I'll wait.' He said. 'Besides, there's nothing romantic in asking the girl of your dreams to marry you at school.'

Mr Potter chuckled and sat next to hi son on the bed. 'I agree.'

'How did you do it?' James asked, handing the ring to his father, who picked it up and smiled at it.

'Wow, I haven't thought about it in years... Our first date was a disaster. I took her to Madam Puddifoot's – I know, it really is that old – but it was rubbish, because I hated that place and I was very, very nervous. But after that, we took a walk around the gardens, you know? The Hogsmeade gardens?' James nodded and he continued. 'Yes, we went there and there was the most beautiful tree with cherry blossoms. Your mother always loved flowers, all kinds of them, but the coloured ones were her favourites. Tulips, roses, cherry blossoms... And lilies, of course. So we sat on a bench under it and I kissed her for the very first time. Son, I can tell you that I'd never felt that way before and haven't since. It was a perfect moment. You only get one in your life, I think, and that was mine. Kissing Lizzie under that cherry tree. So, on our five year anniversary, I took her there again, got down on one knee and gave her this ring. She said yes, and she was crying... It was the third happiest day of my life...'

'Third?' James raised an eyebrow. What could make him happier than that?

'Well, the wedding is second... And starting a family is first. When you were born, son.'

They looked at each other and James nodded, not knowing what to say. 'I love you, Dad.' He said, finally. Mr Potter smiled and hugged him by the shoulder.

'I love you too, son.'

'Why did it take you so long to propose?' James asked.

Mr Potter chuckled and shook his head. 'I wasn't as certain as you about my future. We were more free then, I think... No war nonsense. So I decided I wanted to build a life for her before I asked her to be with me forever. She also wanted to start her career on the right foot. But we started living together after the third year. After our first year away from Hogwarts... Although our parents did frown upon that, but it was the best decision I've ever made, to wait.'

James nodded. 'Ok...'

'But you shouldn't... Not that long.'

'Why not?'

'Because right now, we have to cherish those moments more than anything. Do everything to be close to her... It's dangerous and you never know when it'll be over.'

'I guess...'

They fell silent and James looked around his room, noticing he didn't want a room for him anymore, he wanted a room that screamed "Lily-and-James-live-here-together", with those stupid cushions girls like, duvets and Victorian lampshades. He did want to build a life for her, but he didn't want to wait before it was too late.

'I have some ideas... For the thing, I mean.'

'Really?' his father raised an eyebrow.

'Yeah... Wanna hear them?'

'Yes, please... Go ahead.'

'Well, it starts with...'

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'I hate this game. It's stupid.' Moaned Hestia, throwing her head back. Her once long dark brown hair was now shoulder-length and she had a fringe. Emmeline, who had curled her blonde hair and made it a little darker, laughed and shook her head.

'Because you suck at it.' She said.

Mary, who now had a channel haircut, threw a pillow at them. 'I'm trying to focus!'

'I bet she doesn't have any vowels...' said Lily, who had gone for a wavy hairstyle with a very long fringe. She was resting her chin on her knee. They were all sitting on the floor, around the coffee table.

'I really don't! Damn Scrabble!' whined Mary.

'You should use that "bus" to make "bust".' Said a gleeful voice from behind Mary. The girls were so into the game, they didn't realise who it was.

'What? But that's a stupid word.'

'Course it is... You pervert.' Said another voice. Lily raised an eyebrow.

'What the hell?' she asked, looking back and seeing her smiling boyfriend and his smiling best friend waving at them.

'Hello.' They said in unison.

'Oh my God!' Lily exclaimed, jumping up and throwing her arms around her James' neck. 'You're back one day earlier!'

'Dad had stuff to do and I really missed you!' he said. Sirius rolled his eyes and sat in the circle.

'If you don't mind, Lily, I'll play for you now.' He said, smirking. 'Dirty-Scrabble.'

'Sure, go ahead!' said Lily. She held James' hand and dragged him out of the Common Room.

'They are so having sex now.' Said Hestia with a smirk. Sirius high-fived her.

'Yep. Lucky bastard.'

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After two hours of 'Oh-God-I-missed-you-so-much' snogging, Lily and James were lying – fully-clothed – on their backs on James' bed, holding hands and almost asleep.

'I really liked your hair...' he said, turning on his side. She did the same and smiled.

'Thanks... I didn't think you'd notice... But then again, you notice everything.'

He chuckled. 'True.'

'How are you?' she asked, running her finger throgh his jaw. He sighed.

'I'm ok... Had a good time with Dad...'

'Really?'

'Yeah... he told me all these stories about Mum... It was great.'

Lily smiled.

'I love you.' She whispered, leaning closer to him and curling up against his chest.

'I love you too.' He said, putting his arm around her.

They both fell asleep on each other's arms.

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**N/A: Hello! What's up? That's one more down. I feel like I'm in the final countdown. There are buildings singing the song to me... Ok, if you live in the UK, you'll get this joke... Well, if you live in the UK and watch TV... And seen the advert. Anyway! I would like to apologise for the previous chapter's layout, which was ruined by the (beep beep) layout thingie from this website. Sorry. Yep. Also, tumblr: hellolz, look it up if you want. I'll see you on the next chapter which will come in a couple of days... It'll be my first chapter as a glasses-wearing author! I'm picking my brand new glasses tomorrow. Kinda nervous... Anyway, yeah, see you in a few days! 'Til then, as always, Marauder-on!**


	38. Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here

**N/A: Hi, everyone! Sorry about the delay! Writer's block! Hopefully you won't hate me... Anyway, I'm assuming y'all liked the previous chapter? Liked the poem? Anyway! I hope you enjoy this one, which is supposed to be less sentimental... Well, you'll see... Go on, now...**

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#38 – Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here

**Tuesday – 11.35 am – Defense Against the Dark Arts **

It was raining outside. All the seventh year students were with their heads buried in books trying to get some last-minute information before the doors of the Great Hall opened in five minutes for their Defense Agains the Dark Arts theory exam.

'I'm going to fail. I'm going to fail. I am so going to fail...' whined Hestia, sitting on the floor with her legs crossed, holding her head with both hands. Mary sat next to her, gently rubbing her back and whispering in a reassuring voice.

'No, you won't. We're all prepared, Hest. You'll do fine.' She said. Hestia still shook her head.

Lily was sitting across from them and had her nervous pre-exam trembling, as usual.

'Where are the guys? They're going to be late!' she said, looking around. Then, James, Sirius, Remus and a very nervous-looking Peter appeared from the corner of the corridor. They walked to them.

'Hello.' Said Sirius, smiling nonchalantly.

'Why are you so calm?' asked Emmeline, not looking away from her textbook.

'Because we are more than ready.' He answered matter-of-facly.

'It'll be awesome.' Added James, smiling at the girls.

'Pete, are you alright?' asked Remus, who was looking at Peter with an eyebrow raised. Peter shook his head and ran off. The other three smiled.

'Typical Wormy.' Sirius laughed.

'What?' asked Mary, clearly not finding the situation any funny.

'Peter always gets the jitters before exams. Unfortunately, his come with projectile vomiting, therefore he ran off to the bathroom.' Explained James. 'And when I say projectile, I mean volcano-style, you know?'

'Really? What's with the imagery? We didn't need to know that!' complained Lily, who was now at stage two of pre-exam nervousness: nail-biting.

'Sorry, dove.' He kissed her forehead. 'Are you nervous? You're brilliant!'

'I'm always nervous before exams, you know that!' she whined.

Little Professor Flitwick appeared at the great doors of the Great Hall with a big smile on his face.

'Come on in, everyone! Let us commence the examination!' he said in his high-pitched voice. The cattle of seventh year students moved slowly and hesitantly. Lily held James' hand and gave it a squeeze before letting go and making her way to the 'E's. The tiny professor stood before them as they all sat down and picked up their quills. He cleared his throat and started to say the rules.

'Do not cheat, it will cost you your N.E..' he said. 'No talking, no chewing, no drinking. If you finish before the time is up, hold on to your exam and do not leave the room. You must put your quills down when I say so. Good luck now.' He smiled and motioned his wand. Rolls of parchment flew all across the room and landed one on each of the desks. The first Nearly Excrutiating Wizarding Level exam had begun.

...

'Do they not want people to fail this exam?' asked Sirius as the Marauders made their way to their usual tree on the lake. James snorted.

'It wasn't that easy, Padfoot.' He said.

'Easy? It was so difficult!' exclaimed Peter. Remus patted his back.

'That bad?' asked Remus. The mousy boy nodded. 'I personally liked it. At least there weren't any ridiculous werewolf questions this time.'

The four of them began to laugh and the girls approached them.

'What are you laughing at? We almost died there!' said Hestia, sitting down grumpily.

'Nothing important.' Said James, holding his hand up for Lily to sit next to him. She did and kissed him on the cheek. 'How did you find it?'

'I don't wanna brag, but it was really easy...' she smiled smugly. Sirius put his hand up.

'High five, Evans!' he said and they high-fived. 'Told you it was easy! Prongs, don't tell me it wasn't a piece of cake!'

'It wasn't hard... But it wasn't Transfiguration...'

'We'll see on Thursday.' Emmeline raised an eyebrow. 'You'll lose that smug look!'

Mary snorted. 'Have you just met James?'

They all laughed.

'When is the practical?' asked Peter. Remus looked at his watch.

'Forty five minutes.' He answered. 'Hopefully it won't be hard.'

'It'll be easy. The hard part is the writing... We're awesome at practical!' said Sirius. Hestia rolled her eyes.

'Stuck up.' She said.

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**Tuesday – 4.00 pm**

Lily was last. Her practical had lasted twenty minutes and she was exhausted. She thought about going to the Gryffindor Common Room to meet her friends, but she decided to study for Herbology instead.

She said the password for the Heads Dorm and entered, finding it empty. Lily sighed and went to her bedroom.

'Silence.' She whispered in relief. 'Wanna study some plants, Serg?' she asked the cat, who was licking his right paw, completely oblivious to her presence. The redhead smiled and started to study.

An hour must have passed when there was a knock on her door.

'Come in.' She said absentmindedly, eyes glued on the pages of the book.

'Hey, Lils? Stop reading.' James entered her bedroom and sat on her bed. 'Lils!'

'Sorry. I'm just revising...' she said, but put the book down. 'I hate Herbology.' James snorted.

'Who doesn't?' he smiled. 'How did you practical go?'

'Alright... Yours?'

'Same... I'm very tired, though...' he said. Lily chuckled and sat next to him.

'Where were you?' she asked.

'Kitchens...' he yawned. 'It's early, but I'm so sleepy, so I decided to eat something and then go to sleep.'

'Ok... Are you going to sleep now?' she asked. He leaned closer and kissed her. 'No, then?'

He chuckled and nodded. 'Nope.'

Lily giggled. 'Good..' she said in a low, husky voice, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back.

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**Thursday – 10.00 am – Transfiguration**

'Quiz me!' asked Emmline as soon as Lily and James approached the group in front of the Transfiguration exam room. She pointed her finger at James. 'Quiz me now, Potter!'

James yawned and shook his head. 'Thanks, but no, thanks. I'm revising.' He said.

'You're not revising...' said Mary, crooking an eyebrow.

'He's doing the inside the brain revising thing. Like I do with DADA...' Remus answered her, still reading his textbook with a frown.

James leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, muttering random words under his breath. Lily got next to Emmeline.

'I'll do it.'

'Thanks!'

...

**Two hours later...**

'Put down your quills!' said Professor Flitwick. 'Why is it always you, Stebbins! Quill down!' he motioned his wand and hundreds of rolls of parchments flew in his direction, knocking him down. Again. Lily chuckled, picked up her exam paper and left, meeting her friends at the door.

'So?' she asked.

'Don't ask.' Said Hestia, walking away. 'Lunch!'

'Not so good then...' murmured Lily. 'James!' she waved and James approached them, followed by Sirius and Remus. All three, smiling widely.

James waved a piece of parchment in front of Lily's face.

'What is this?' she asked.

'THE ANSWERS?' asked Hestia, fearfully.

'No, not the answers... Something I found on my bag this morning.' He handed it to Lily, who opened it. It was a scribbled drawing of a snitch with her initials in it.

'What?'

'I did this after the DADA O.W.L.' he explained. 'Was bored.'

'So you drew her name? How adorable!' said Emmeline, patting him on the back.

'Yuck.' Sirius pretended to vomit.

'I have to go now.' James said, kissing Lily. 'Library. Potions. Bye!'

He ran dragging Sirius and Remus behind him.

'RAPE! RAPE!' yelled Sirius and the other two laughed.

'Those boys...' Hestia shook her head.

'Let's go, Lily. You're teaching us Potions!' said Mary and the girls left for the Gryffindor Tower.

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**Friday – 5.00 pm – Potions **

The exam had just finished and there was a gloom atmosphere in the air. The seventh year Gryffindors were sitting around the coffee table on the Common Room, staring at nowhere.

'So. Difficult.' Moaned Remus. 'I don't... know... if... aaaah...'

'I know! I knwo exactly what you're feeling!' Emmeline nodded, hugging her pillow. 'I hate Slughorn so much right now.'

James was sitting next to Lily and noticed she was a little stiff.

'Are you ok?' he asked, put her hand in his.

She nodded. 'I don't want to say anything...' she whispered.

'What are you lovebugs whispering about?' asked Hestia.

'I don't know...' admitted James, smiling. 'Lily?'

She sighed and straightened up. 'I thought it was pretty easy.'

'I hate you!' laughed Mary, throwing a pillow at her friend. 'So much!'

'How well did you do?' asked Remus. 'I mean, how easy was it?'

'I dunno. It was just like the past papers and all that... I just did everything...' she shrugged.

'Lils is very smart.' Stated James matter-of-factly. 'Plus she's the best Potions student in this school.'

'You flatter me, Potter.' She shoved him slightly.

'It's not flattery, dove, just the truth.'

'Get a room!' exclaimed Hestia.

'You disgust me!' bellowed Sirius at the same time.

James tackled Sirius and they started to wrestle. Remus rolled his eyes and stood up. 'We have to study Runes.' He said. The boys stopped wrestling and frowned.

'Why?' whined Sirius. 'I don't wannaaa..'

'Because we have to!' Remus crossed his arms. 'Come on! Library!'

James kissed Lily and the three boys left. The girls exchanged looks and began to laugh.

'How old are they?' asked Hestia. 'Wrestling?'

Lily smiled and lay back on the sofa, stretching her legs and sighing.

'I'm so tired!' she said. 'This week was so long... And we have one more.'

'I know.' Moaned Emmeline, who was lying on the floor.

'Guys?'

The girls turned to look at Hestia.

'Ok?' asked Mary.

'Yeah... I just... I'm starting to get nostalgic.' She said.

'Why?'

'Because after these exams, it's over. These are our last exams at Hogwarts! After this is graduation, work, life... It just seems so unreal.'

'I know.' Said Emmeline, sitting down. 'Ministry...' she whispered.

'Lily?'

'What?'

'After graduation? Any plans?'

Lily smiled. 'James.' She said.

'What do you mean? You're going to fuck his brains out?' asked Hestia smirking.

'Gross. You love to ruin a moment, don't you?' said Mary. Emmeline laughed.

'No, not that, Hestia... I mean, us, together. You know?'

'You think he's gonna... propose or something?'

Lily snorted. 'Eventually, yeah... He's got this black notebook with wedding plans... I think the notes are from when he was 13 or something, because of the handwriting... But still!'

'Adorable! You know, he gives you a necklace and I'm like "couldn't be any cuter", then he asks you out with a cat! I mean, that guy just gets more and more adorably cute and perfect every day!' said Emmeline. 'Seriously!'

Lily giggled. 'Yep. That's my boyfriend.' She smiled. 'That's my amazing, beautiful, incredible boyfriend.'

'And we are not at all dying of envy...' sang Hestia, sarcastically.

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**Monday – 1.45 pm – Ancient Runes**

Lily and Mary were at the library studying for their last exams while Emmeline and Hestia slept, and the boys had their Runes exam. Lily was nervus for James because he definitely wasn't. It had started about an hour before, so it was probably almost done. Mary put head up and touched Lily on the arm.

'Should we go to the Lake?' she asked. Lily nodded, so they collected their stuff and went to their meeting point under the tree on the Lake.

'I wish I could see the Giant Squid at least once before we left school...' commented Lily. Mary raised her eyebrow.

'I thought you went on a date with it all the time...' mocked Mary, then she received a shove and laughed. 'Kidding, geez... Anyway, why the sudden comment?'

Lily shrugged. 'I dunno. Suppose is that whole nostalgia thing...'

'Oh, yeah... I still can't believe we're out of here in three weeks.'

Lily chuckled and nodded. 'Yep. Are you moving in with your Dad or getting a flat?'

'I'm thinking of staying at Dad's until I get a proper pay, you know? Then I'll think about a flat... You're staying at the Potters, right?'

'Yes... Do you think it'll be weird? Like, living in your boyfriend's Dad's house?'

'Nah, it's James... Besides, Sirius will be there.' Mary shrugged. 'And you';; be so busy with Auror training that there'll be no time to worry about awkwardness.'

'I suppose you're right...' Lily muttered. However, there had been something in her mind the past few days. She had been so worried about James in the Order that she considered joining as well. And it would be more helpful than training in a safe environment. Besides, Lily wanted to protect her sister. She knew Petunia hated her, but the thought of Voldemort killing her was more than she could bear. Lily scratched her neck and sat under the tree.

'Look, right on time!' Mary exclaimed, pointing at the students leaving the Runes exam. The three Marauders walked over to them, heads down, all of them reading a piece of parchment in Remus' hand. 'Well, that's not good.' She whispered to Lily.

They approached them and sat without saying a word, just reading. A few minutes later, Sirius put his head up and frowned.

'I failed this. I know I failed this.' He said.

'No, you didn't... Probably an E.' Said Remus, receiving a smack on the head in response.

'It was so damn hard!' whined Sirius, lying back on the grass. James nodded and did the same.

'I'm pretty sure I messed up a few translations... I mean, they were so weird!' he said. Lily took his hand.

'I'm sure you did well. All of you. You're brilliant. Seriously.'

'Siriusly?' asked Sirius with a smirk. Remus rolled his eyes and James bagn to laugh.

'Almost a year without that coming up.' Remus said.

'You owe me three galleons.' Said James, stretching an open hand out to Remus, who got the money from his pocket and paid.

'What did you bet on?' asked Mary.

'If Sirius could go a full year without making a Sirius/serious pun. I, being the eternal idiot that I am, truste that he could. James, however, did not.'

'Damn right! And now I'm a little richer...'

'Boys...' muttered the girls.

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'Potter!' James heard Professor McGonagall calling him as he walked back to the Heads Dorm. He turned around and smiled at her.

'Hi, Minnie. What's up?'

'I need to speak to you about the upcoming Quidditch final.' She said.

'Oh, right... Sunday! Are you nervous, Minnie?'

'Of course I am! You seem too nonchalant for my taste, Potter.' She commented sternly. James thought it was weird how this woman could seem to harmless and so harmful at the same time. Lily was like that too. Very weird.

'Minnie, we practiced the whole week before the exams. Two hours a day. And we'll do extra practices on Friday and Saturday, don't worry. Besides, I am definitely not going to lose my last Quidditch cup.' He grinned.

'Good. Good. If you win this, Potter, you get a medal. You, as Captain and lead Chaser, I mean.'

James' eyes widened. 'Really?'

'Oh yeah. It goes in the trophy room. And you get to keep one as well.'

'Awesome!' James jumped up and hugged the professor.

'What are you doing?'

'Good luck?' he suggested, smiling. 'I have to go now... Have some studying to do... And some tactics to prepare. Bye, Minnie!' he waved and left running to his dorm.

When he walked in, he found Lily sleeping on the sofa.

'Lils, wake up! I have to tell you something!'

She opened her eyes slowly.

'Wha-?' she asked groggily. 'Are you ok?'

'Yeah! Yeah! Minnie came to talk to me about Quidditch a few minutes ago and, guess what!'

'What?'

'If I win this final, I get a medal!'

She smiled broadly and he hugged her.

'That's wonderful, honey! You better kick som Slytherin arse, then!'

'That's my plan, Lilykins...'

Lily giggled and looked at her watch. 'Well, Mr Evans, I better go to bed... Are still going to study tonight?'

'Yeah... Last minute stuff.'

'Ok. Goodnight, honey. Love you.' She said, leaving.

'Love you too!' he yelled after her. James then took off his shoes and lay on the sofa, thinking about Quidditch. He was definitely going to miss it. Miss being able to play everyday, being a leader, winning. James sighed. 'I can't believe it's almost over...' he whispered and slowly, James began to fall asleep.

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**N/A: SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY! I really was hoping to get it done by tomorrow, but some stuff happened... Anyway! Sorry. But new one on the weekend. No specific day, though... ^^ Anyway, yeah... Hm, hope you liked this chapter, it was a bit simple, just day-to-day life and some banter. Some Limes cuteness... Some joky moments... Yep. Alright. Comment, review, ask questions, send cake recipes, anything you want... Just click on this thing bellow this text VVV the review thingie... I will see you later! Til then, Marauder-on!**


	39. Omnes Annos Terminata

**N/A: Hi, guys. Sorry, so sorry for the delay (I feel like I'm saying a lot of those lately, for which I feel like apologising once more) ... I've had internet connection problems, my laptop just broke, which is really sad because I love it... Exams, homework, planning my upcoming trip to London... Anyway, no excuses, right? I'm sorry. I've been very prolific in the past two months, but school is just draining it from me. Worry not, my darlings, because we're almost there! I can see the light! I hope you enjoy this! By the way, I was pointed out a mistake on the last chapter. It wasn't '', but 'NastilyEWTs'. Sorry about that as well... Ok! On you go! (I'm using such a good font on Word... I wish you could see it ^^ well, it's Century Gothic, but still...) **

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#39 – Omnes Annos Terminata

James was lying on his bed, looking at the ceiling and holding his Quidditch madel on his right hand. He exhaled deeply and closed his eyes. Sergio climed on his bed and sat on his stomach, purring loudly. James chuckled and started to stroke the cat gently. He smiled as he remembered the Quidditch Finals... Him scoring the last goal... Grayson stretchin out his hand and wrapping his fingers around the Snitch... Sirius punching the air and screaming with excitement... Dumbledore handing him the Cup for the last time and him giving the Cup to McGonagall for the last time... Lily running towards him and kissing him deeply. James' smile grew wider with that memory. Lily. Lily with her soft lips and green eyes and silky red hair. Lily, his girlfriend, the woman he loved. She loved him back. That had been a good year. And James was going to miss Hogwarts. There was a knock on the door.

'Come in...' he said. Eyes red and cheeks wet, Lily walked in slowly. James stood up and held her, stroking her hair tenderly. 'Hey, what happened?'

She sniffed and buried her face into his chest.

'I'm just nostalgic... Being stupid.' She said.

'You're not being stupid... It's ok to be nostalgic. Today is our last day here...'

She parted from him and sighed.

'Stop saying that...' she whined. James chuckled and patted her in the head.

'You're so silly.' He smiled. 'Come on, let us enjoy our last day in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.'

He led her out of the room by the hand and they left the Heads Dorm.

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'Hey, guys!' said Lily when she and James approached the tree on the Lake. They were met with cheers and yells. Much like every time James entered or appeared anywhere ever since the game. He smiled and waved.

'Hello...' he said and sat under the shadow of the tree.

'Hi, Cap'n!' said Hestia, saluting him. He chuckled and saluted her back.

'What are you guys doing?' he asked.

'We were reminiscing...' said Mary. 'So many good moments here...' she looked up at the Castle and smiled.

'True... Remember our first day? Walking up those stairs... Sitting on the stool and being sent to Gryffindor?' Emmeline said.

'Remember how we called Snape Snivellus and Lily started to hate our guts?' smiled Sirius.

'Thanks for ruining the moment, Padfoot.' Said Remus, smacking him on the head. The group laughed and a comfortable silence fell, in which they all started to remember their years at the school.

'Ok! Let's play a game!' said Mary suddenly, startling the others. 'We each have to say our favourite moments of each year.'

'I like it!' agreed Hestia.

'Fine, first year, then...' said Remus. 'Who goes first?'

'ALPHABETICAL!' exclaimed Sirius. 'Me first! Ok! Favourite moment? Hm... Our first prank on the Great Hall! It was our third week here and we decided to use Wingardium Leviosa to make all the cutlery fly from the Slytherin table... It was legendary!'

James and Remus began to laugh.

'That was so awesome!' said James. 'Good times.'

'Lily, you're up!' said Hestia.

Lily smiled and nodded.

'I think my favourite moment from first year was when I was alone in the library on our second day of class and Mary came to talk to me... I've always had very little friends back home, so it was nice finally begin to have good friends... So, yep. Favourite moment...'

'Awn, sweetie!' said Mary, smiling widely and hugging Lily.

'Ok, can't breathe! Go, Hest!' Lily tried to say from inside the bear hug.

'Being able to hang out with Gwenog all the time without our parents always being there!' she said. 'Lupin, your turn...'

Remus smiled. 'Having friends.' He said, giving James and Sirius a meaningful look. They smiled back and cleared their throats in a manly manner. 'Mary?'

Marys smiled. 'McGonagall.'

She received strange looks after this and chuckled. 'It's just that I hadn't had a strong female figure since my Mum died, so being around McGonagall was good... You know?'

'Cool.' Said Emmeline, smiling.

'You, James, go!' Mary said. James blushed and coughed.

'Ok... First time I saw Lily outside Platform 9 ¾ at King's Cross.' He said simply. 'Best moment. Never forgot it.'

There were 'awns' and 'ews' following and Lily smiled.

'No way.' She said.

'It's true!' he said, chuckling. 'You were there, eleven years old, big green eyes, long red hair with curls on the tips... Red skirt, those white doll shoes and an orange shirt.'

'You remember that?' asked Mary. 'I envy you, Evans... You're up, Vance.'

Emmeline sat up and smiled. 'When I made my first potion! It was so difficult, so when I did it, it was great!' she clapped.

'Aren't we cute?' asked Hestia. 'Second year now!'

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'Pete, where have you been?' asked Sirius when he, James and Remus walked into the kitchens for a last meal there. Peter was sitting alone, eating a whole cake a looking oddly nervous.

'Just eating...' he stuttered.

'Since last week? We haven't seen you since the Quidditch party.' Said James.

Peter shrugged and the other three let it go, sitting next to him and starting to eat.

'Can you believe this is our last meal here?' wondered Remus, with his elbow on the table and his chin on his hand.

'Merlin, will we ever stop being so mushy and nostalgic?' chuckled James, taking a bite out of the cake. 'This is so good I wanna cry!'

'I know the feeling, mate... No more goody foods... We'll have to prepare our own meals now.'

Remus sighed. 'I think we should talk about the Order... You know, without the girls here and whatnot.'

'Are you having second thoughts?' asked James.

'No! No! I just—Look, I want to be sure we are all aware of the dangers...'

'What do you mean?' Sirius raised an eyebrow.

'I mean, we'll be doing raids and chasing Death Eaters. It's life-threatening.' He said matter-of-factly.

'It's all for good, though, right?' began James. 'Because we may be risking our lives, but our sacrifice may be what saves everyone else.'

'Preach!' said Sirius through a mouthful.

'Yeah...' murmured Peter, who still looked nervous.

'Are you up to something?' asked Sirius.

'No! Stop asking me those questions!' Peter said. 'I'm just sad that we're leaving, ok!'

'Sorry, mate...' Sirius smiled. 'Just checking...'

James clasped his hand on Peter's back and chuckled. 'Good ol'Wormy... It is going to be sad. But look at the brightside! Lily is moving in!'

'Well, there is the silver lining... For your cloud at least.' Said Remus, rolling his eyes. 'Is she, though?'

James nodded enthusiastically.

'Look at the poor bloke... Thinking about all the sugar he's gonna get.' Mocked Sirius, receiving smacks on the head. 'You have got to stop smacking me!'

'When you stop saying stupid things, maybe.' Said Remus. 'Plus, I highly doubt that Lily will be giving any sugar all day every day.'

'Could you stop talking about Lily's sugar?' asked James in a shrill voice. 'I was just thinking how great it will be to be able to hang ou with her every day...'

'Yeah, right..' agreed Sirius sarcastically. James threw a potato chip at him. 'Anyway, I'm thinking of getting my own place.'

'Why?'

'Well, my uncle gave me a fair amount of money and I think I'm old enough to live by myself... I hope you don't mind...'

'Not at all... It's great! Independence and all...'

'Same here... I'll be living as close to the Order as possible.' Remus said, nodding. 'Hopefully it will be in London... It sucks that they can't tell us where it is until we join!'

'I know! Pure bullcrap!' said Sirius, punching the table. 'Are you moving out, Prongs?'

James shrugged. 'I have other plans...' he said. 'But I'm feeling Dad is going to get me a place after the Summer.'

'Other plans?' Remus raised an eyebrow.

'Other plans that involve a house, a picket fence, seven babies and a dog?'

James chuckled. 'Plus Sergio!' he nodded, punching the sair. 'Just one baby will do, though... I'm not the biggest fan of children...'

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'Last time packing...' said Hestia, putting a pain of shoes in her magically enlarged trunk. Marlene got out of the bathroom and smilled sadly.

'I'm going to miss this place... But at least Kingsley and I are finally going to be able to do that date...' she sighed, sitting down.

'What? You and Harrison?' asked a shocked Emmeline, sitting next to her.

Marlene chuckled. 'Yep.'

'Why can't you date?' asked Lily, who was helping Mary fold her clothes.

'Well, the Captain doesn't like internal dating... It is totally understandable, since when we were in second year, our first year at the team, the lead Chaser and the Seeker, who were seventh years, dated a few times, but it did not end well, and we ended up almost losing the cup for lack of concentration.' She explained.

'Sorry about that...' smiled Lily, rubbing her neck. 'He can be a little overbearing...'

'Yep. But we all love him... Best captain I've had. And I've had two!' Marlene smiled. She stood up and put her hands on Lily's shoulders. 'Look, I've been teammates with James since second year and he's always talked about you. Always. I was going to tell you, but you were always with Snape or too busy... Or hating him...' she chuckled. 'So I'm very glad you finally got to each other. Don't hurt him...'

Lily smiled. 'I won't. Promise. I love him very much...'

'Aren't you all adorable?' asked Hestia sarcastically. 'But could we not talk about how Lily loves James and could you help me get... these... stupid... shoes... in!' she said, sitting on her half-open trunk.

The other four girls laughed and went to help her.

'How many shoes do you have, exactly?' asked Emmeline.

'I don't feel comfortable sharing this information.' Replied Hestia diplomatically.

'Well, I'd love to stay and help, but I have to go... You know, snog my boyfriend...' said Marlene, chuckling and leaving.

'I wish we'd hung out more with her over the years...' admitted Mary.

'True... She's so nice...' said Lily. 'I'm happy for her and—God, Hestia! How many shoes _do_ you have? I just found more!'

'Don't count! I just love them, ok?' Hestia bellowed. 'Lily, could you do that extension charm thingie? You know? With the big bagn that is actually a tiny bag?'

Lily laughed. 'Sure. Step away...' she went and motion her wand on top of the trunk. A few seconds later, it sunk considerably. Emmeline, Mary and Hestia cheered happily.

'Yey! You fixed it!' Hestia hugged Lily, who laughed.

'Yes, yes I did... I am that awesome. Plus I pay attention to Charms class... Paid, paid attention... It's over.'

'Ok! Sad mood! Let's wrap this up and find the guys, shall we? It's almost time for supper.' Said Emmeline.

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'My dearest students!' said Dumbledore, standing up. The students stopped talking and he smiled. 'This is our last dinner of the school year and I am glad to say that all of you have done remarkably this year. Now, to all of our graduates, I'm confident your future ahead is going to be great and I trust you to make the right decisions and follow the right paths. I raise my glass to you, class o 1978!' he said. 'And finally, it is time to reveal the House Cup winner!'

Lily held James' hand tightly.

'Are you ok?' he whispered.

'Yes... I'm just nervous. Last Cup, right? I want to win!' she whispered back.

'In fourth place, Hufflepuff with 305 points!' Dumbledore announced and the Hufflepuffs clapped shyly and Professor Sprout smiled at them from the faculty table. 'Slytherin with 350 points!' There were lots of clapping from the other three house, and some laughing as well. 'Ravenclaw with 380 and Gryffindor win, with 395 points!' Dumbledore smiled as the Gryffindor table stood up in celebration. Students yelled, shouted, smiled and laughed, celebrating, and the seventh years did as well, commemorating their last House Cup, their final school achievement.

'Yes!' shouted Lily. 'We rule! Go Gryffindor!'

'Since when do you have so much House Pride?' asked Hestia when they all calmed down. Lily shrugged.

'It'my last day, leave it, ok?'

'Alright...' Hestia smiled.

'Now, your Head Girl would like to say a few words.' Dumbledore said, smiling at Lily.

'What?' asked James.

'He said that it would be nice, and I agree... I'm a good girl.' She said, standing up and going to where the Headmaster was standing. 'Thank you, Professor.'

Dumbledore smiled and nodded.

'Ok! Hi, everyone. Hm, I'm a little nervous, so you'll have to excuse me... In the past seven years, I've known many Hogwarts. The one that intimidated me... The one that taught me magic... The one that showed me loss and the one that showed me love. In this castle I've met good and bad people, I've made and lost friends, and I know it happened to everyone else here. It's life. Tonight, I want to thank you. All of you. Every single one of you in this room, because without you, there would be no Hogwarts. There wouldn't be the place where I learnt everything that I know. Thank you. Thank you, Hogwarts, Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Slughorn, Sprout, Flitwick, Nearly-Headless Nick, Grey Lady, Bloody Baron, Fat Lady, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Thank you!' Lily raised her glass and smiled at the room, who started to clap. Dumbledore put his hand on her shoulder and nodded.

'Thank you, Miss Evans. Good luck.' He said.

Lily stepped down and sat next to James, who kissed her cheek and smiled.

'You make me proud, Evans...'

She shrugged. 'I am pretty awesome, eh, Potter?'

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'Bye, Hoggy.' Said Sirius, waving goodbye to the school as the pupils made their way to the train station in Hogsmeade.

'Hoggy?' asked Lily, smiling.

'Yeah. I think after seven years, the school deserves a cool nickname.'

'And Hoggy is cool where?' asked James.

'Shut it! Just get in the bloody train, alright?'

Remus arrived, sweaty and out of breath. 'Hey... I just had to go thank Poppy for all the help over the years...' he said.

'I did the same last night.' Said James. 'She told me she'd miss having a "regular"...'

'That makes us two!' Remus laughed.

'Wow, I never knew how much our lives revolved around this institution... It's just... Wonderful...' Lily said. 'And sad... I don't know how to feel...'

'Feel glad that you came.' Said James, holding her by the shoulder. 'And feel excited for the future, because it starts as soon as we get on this train.'

'I gotta admit, the boy's got a way with the words.' Said Hestia and they all laughed. Laughed for the last time as students in Hogwarts.

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**N/A: Yellow! Sorry for the delay, again! I've been very busy lately. But, hey! Exciting part it that now we have to great adventures post-school! It'll be fun, you'll see.. I have some great stuff planned. Anyway, please review and comment – thank you for the cake recipes, by the way, I loved them... albeit I don't cook, but my mum does, so yey! How about you send me your favourite movies and TV shows now? Mine are the Lion King, Return of the Jedi, Friends, The Office and Criminal Minds... Although I'm very into Bones right now... Anyway! Doesn't matter! Again, press the button below that says "review" and... well, do. ^^ I'll see you on the next chapter... 'Til then, Marauder-on!**


	40. Missionaries in a Foreign Field

**N/A: Hello, people! How are ya? It's so cool that you're actually answering to my calls from the bottom notes! You're all awesome! By the way, in case you're wondering, the last chapter title was in Latin... And this one is from the song 'Viva La Vida' by Coldplay, not that it matters, since the chapter doesn't really have anything to do with the song, but it's good to know, right? By the way, the person who spots my favourite line in this whole chapter gets to pick the title of my next story! Siriusly! Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter... We're almost there, so hang with me! On you go...**

**P.S.: There's a bit of tension here, but I'm not the best tension/drama writer, so it's a small thing, just to add flavour, since some of you probably find the excessive fluff pretty dull – I know I do ^^ **

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#40 – Missionaries in a Foreign Field

_ He was coming closer. His ophidian eyes soaking with anger and evil and malice. His mouth was open in a sick smile and her spine shivered as he laughed. A dark laugh. He seemed to be dead as well as alive, he didn't belong into the world of the living, but he was still there nonetheless, taking charge of everything, the Hades of the new era. His breathing was loud and in the chaos of her own mind, she couldn't seem to find the strength to leave. He laughed again and his long, skinny fingers picked up her hair and pulled it. _

_ 'You won't be alive long, _Muggle_. I will end you like I did that boyfriend of yours...' He said. 'Avad-'_

'AAAAAAAH!' Lily's eyes darted open as she sat up on her bed, covered in sweat and tears. She looked around, trying to make sense of where she was, when her bedroom door was opened and James ran in.

'Lils, are you ok?' he asked, looking fearful and concerned. Lily nodded and wiped out her tears.

'Hm, yeah...' she mumbled. 'It was just that dream again. Voldemort. Saying he killed you and that I was next.'

James sighed and pulled her close. She buried herself in the hug.

'I'm just so scared. Every time you say there's a meeting with the Order, I'm scared, because I don't know what you're doing and you can't tell me... It's just... So scary.' She whispered. He cupped her face with both hands and kissed her on the forehead.

'I know, dove... But those are the rules. I can't say anything to outsiders... It sucks, but Dumbledore said, so we have to obey.'

Lily nodded again and sighed loudly, proving her disappointment.

'It just seems like you don't trust me.'

'I trust you more than anyone in the world, love, but Dumbledore—'

'Yeah, I know. I understand. I'm just angry with him, that's all...' she said. 'Hm, I'll go take a shower... Excuse me.'

Lily stood up from her bed and went to her bathroom. James nodded sadly behind her and left. As he closed the door, the boy leaned against it and slid down. He crossed his arms on his knees and used them to support this head.

'Dammit.' He muttered. 'Stupid Voldemort.'

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'What are you doing?' asked Harold Potter as he walked into the kitchen.

Lily turned to look at him and smiled.

'Making lunch!' she said cheerfully. 'As a thank you for letting me stay here until I get my own place!'

The man smiled and shook his head. 'It's no trouble, Lily. You can stay here as long as you want. You're James' girlfriend!'

'Yeah, but I still feel bad... Living here for free and all...'

'It's not problem. But if you feel better cooking lunch, I'm not complaining...' he smiled. Lily smiled back and chuckled.

'Thank you, sir.'

They heard the lock opening.

'James is here...' Mr Potter said. Lily smiled and turned back to her cooking.

'Dad! Moody's here!' James yelled from the door. Lily looked up and put the spoon she was holding away.

'Moody? I need to talk to him!' she said.

They both went to the foyer where James was trying to help Moody out of his jacket and Moody was shoving him away, being the badass he always was.

'I don't need your help, Potter!'

'I'm just trying to be helpful and polite!'

'Alastor!' said Mr Potter with a huge smile, approaching Moody and shaking hands.

'Harold, good to see you! Your boy here is very annoying.'

James rolled her eyes and went to say hello to Lily. He kissed her and smiled.

'Hey.'

'Hi.' She smiled back. 'What is he doing here?' she asked in a whisper.

'I told him about your dreams...'

'James!'

'What? I told him you were worried and he wanted to talk to you!'

Lily rolled her eyes and shoved him lightly.

'Thanks for that.' She hissed sarcastically. 'Hello, Mr Moody. How have you been?'

Moody didn't smile at her – because he never smiled at all anyway – but nodded and waved. He then cleared his throat and approached her.

'Miss Evans, Potter here told me you've been having dreams about the Dark Lord.'

'It's nothin-...'

'Don't interrupt me. I think we should talk.' He said, then looked at Mr Potter, who smiled and nodded.

'How about you go into the lounge and James and I finish prepating lunch?'

And so they did. And Lily Evans was alone with scary Alastor Moody in the louge of the Potter mansion. Never would she have imagined such weirdness happening to her. The redhead cleared her throat and gave a weak smile to the older man in front of her.

'So, Evans... You'll start the Auror training this Fall?'

She nodded.

'But you don't want to.'

'Of course I do!' she said defensively. 'I want to be an Auror and protect people.'

'But I think you'd rather join the Order and protect people now.'

She couldn't deny that. Lily really wanted to fight now. And she wanted to know what they were up to so that James wouldn't be alone in the danger. Surely he'd understand.

'Yes.' She answered. 'I'd rather join the Order now.'

'Very well. I'll speak to Dumbledore.'

'What? Just like that?'

'Look, Evans, we need people. You are people. And you are very capable people, as I hear, therefore you should be good enough for the Order. If even that Pettigrew boy can get it, I reckon Dumbledore will have no problem with you joining.'

Lily smiled widely and nodded forcefully. 'Great!'

'Now, where do we eat?'

'The kitchen... I'll take you there... Follow me, sir.'

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Lily looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. It was going to be her first day as a member of the Order of the Phoenix and she was both nervous and excited. She decided to put on dark jeans and a brown hip-lenght long blouse. Her hair was tied up in a bun. She sighed and left the room.

As she reached the kitchen for breakfast, Lily saw her boyfriend sitting alone on the table, resting his chin on his right hand and playing absentmidedly with a piece of sausage.

'Hi, honey.' She said. James woke uo from his haze startled and cleared his throat. He gave her a fake smile and nodded.

'Morning, dove.' He said.

'What's got you so down this morning?'

'Nothing. I'm just worried for you...' Lily snorted and hugged his neck, standing up next to his chair. He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. 'Stop mocking me, Evans...'

'I'm not... I just find it adorable that you worry about my well-being...'

'Well, as your boyfriend, I think it would be nice if I worried about your welfare, don't you think?'

'I suppose.' She then sat across the table from him and smiled, eating a muffin. 'Where's your Dad?'

'Still asleep.' James said. 'He went out to play poker with a few of his buddies last night.'

'I didn't know Wizards played poker!'

'Yep... I'm very bad at it, but mostly Wizards like it... Sirius loves poker!'

Lily smiled. 'How's he been anyway? I havent'seen him in awhile...'

James shrugged. 'With the new place and the raids for the Order, the poor guy hasn't had any time to breathe lately... Remus and I are going there next week for some Marauder time...'

'Oh, thanks for telling me!' Lily pouted sarcastically.

'I'm telling you now!' James smiled. 'Plus, it would be a great oppotunity for some girlfriend time... Perhaps you and the girls could go on a Girls Night Out or whatever you call it...'

Lily's eyes lit up and she opened a huge smile. 'That is a wonderful idea! I'll go owl Mary about it and then we can go!'

James nodded and went back to his tea.

After a few minutes, they were ready to go, so, as they stepped outside the protective shield that involved the house, James Apparated them into the area near the headquarters.

The street was silent and empty, and it was like a ghost town. Lily didn't dare to ask where they were and stood there silently as James gave her a piece of paper with the address written on it. She read it and memorised it, then James burned the paper.

'Think of the address.' He whispered and she did. Magically, a door appeared on the side of one of the dodgy buildings. The door was dirty and dusty, and Lily almost choked before she got used to the mildew smell of the corridors as they walked inside. The foyer was empty, no pictures, no decorations, not even a rug, just the dark wooden floor and the grey walls that led to a single black door. They walked to the door slowly. As they reached it, James knocked twice, stopped, then knocked thrice again. There was a ruffling sound on the other side. The door opened violently and the couple met the angry face of Alastor Moody.

'In, now!' he hissed angrily. Lily gulped as James pulled her inside. She was nervous and trembling, but the sight of a few of her friends from Hogwarts made her feel more comfortable. 'Now that you're all here' Moody began quickly. 'there are some bad news. There has been a development in Voldemort's plan and we need to act now.'

'What do you mean?' asked Marlene McKinnon, who had stepped next to Lily and smiled at her before turning confusedly to the Auror in front of them.

'I mean, Miss McKinnon, that we have to attack today. I'll show you the plans and the teams will deploy tonight.' Without going any further with the plans, Moody left with the other Aurors to the other room in order to discuss the plans. The younger folk was left wondering what they were supposed to do now.

'Hey, Lily! You came!' greeted Remus, giving her a hug.

'Yes... I was so worried... I had to join!' she said, smiling at him. 'I missed you, guys!'

'We missed you too, Lily-pad!' said Sirius cheerfully, giving her a bear hug.

James was standing behind, looking frazzled.

'What did he mean by "attack tonigh"? Do you think we're going after Voldemort now?' he asked. Sirius shrugged.

'Mate, he's probably overreacting, like always. It's Mad-Eye, the guy's insane!'

James chuckled. 'I suppose you're right...'

'It'll be fine, honey.' Said Lily in a low voice, locking her arm with his. 'It'll all be fine.' She then whispered to herself.

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'Ok. Pay attention.' Said Moody, standing before the Order in front of a black board with a tactic scheme written on it in a messy handwritting. 'We'll deploy in teams of three. One experienced Auror and two Trainees. Each team will go to a different location. Remember, once you're out there, you're as good as dead, so constant vigilance!' he yelled and Lily heard Sirius snicker slightly behind her and rolled her eyes. 'Come take your tactic sheets.'

Lily approached the table following James.

'Sir, I was wondering if I could go with Lily?' asked James shyly. Lily breathed relieved, since she really didn't want to go without James. But apparently Moody had other plans for them.

'No. You are going with Shacklebold and Black. Miss Evans is going with me and Lupin.' Moody said, not looking at him.

'But, sir—'

'Look, Potter, I know what you want, but it isn't a good idea to go with a significant other to places like these. How do you think you'll feel if she's taken and tortured? Will be able to thino objectively or will you step out of hiding and attack however is doing that to her?'

James stared at the floor, the mere thought of Lily being hurt haunting him.

'Exactly what I thought. It's better if you two go separately. But I'll watch out for her.' He said. Lily looked at her boyfriend's sad face and kissed his cheek.

'We'll be ok, James. Remember how I can kick arse?' she asked and made him smile weakly.

'Yes... You'll be there saving Moody's bum, won't you?'

Lily nodded excitedly and smiled. Remus then appeared and tapped James on the back.

'Don't worry, mate, we won't let her kill everybody...' he said and that made James laugh.

About an hour later, the teams were ready to go. Marlene's went first, followed by other two with people Lily didn't know, then went James, Sirius and Kingsley. She closed her eyes really tight and did something she hadn't done in years – Lily prayed. She prayed for all of them to return safely, but mostly for James.

Remus put a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

'It's us, now.' He said. She nodded and followed him and Moody into position.

They Apparated in what seemed to be a HQ for the Death Eaters.

'How did we get in?' she asked in a whisper. 'Don't they have any protective charms?'

'Yeah, this is weird...' said Remus. Moody nodded.

'That's why we're here. This whole place smells of weird and wrong. We're investigating...'

'So there's no danger, right?' she asked, relieved.

Moody stared at her and snorted. 'There's always danger, Evans. Constant vigilance!'

The trio walked slowly along the corridor and saw nothing. No Death Eaters, no clue as to where they could be hiding and no traps. No traps. The lack of traps or hexes was really strange and Lily was about to comment on it when she heard a shriek from behind her.

'Remus!' she yelled, turning on her feet and running towards him, but being stopped by Moody's hand on her wrist.

'It's a trap!'

'What?' she asked, looking around, confused. Remus was lying on the floor, holding his stomach and shrieking in pain and panic.

'Don't panic, Evans.' Moody said loudly. 'It's an automatic Cruciatos hex. Damn, those Death Eaters.' Moody then murmured some counter hexes and Lily just stood there, not knowing what to do, because she didn't know how to stop it and she couldn't approach Remus, because she'd be cursed as well. About a minute later, albeit it seemed like hours, Remus' face relaxed and he passed out.

'Oh, God...' Lily breathed, finally being able to run to her friend and see if he was alright. 'He needs to go to the hospital!'

'Yes. You take him, Evans, and I'll finish up in here.'

'What? But—'

'Go, now. He needs assistance!'

Lily nodded in agreement, held Remus' hand and Apparated into St. Mungo's.

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'Lily!' she heard James yell from the entrance of the hospital. Lily stood up and made her way to her boyfriend, who hugged her tightly as soon as they met. 'How are you? What happened?'

'I'm fine. Nothing happened to me... But Remus was cursed and he's in there and they won't let me in to see him.' She said. 'There was a type of automatic cruciatos thing there... It was awful...' she said. And then, as if it everything that happened had finally caught up to her, Lily started to cry. James held her again and Sirius walked in.

'So?' he asked. James lifted his head and shook it.

'Everyone's fine... Remus is hurt, though.'

Sirius sighed in what seemed like relief. He was probably just glad they were all alive.

'Where were you guys?' she asked them.

'On a stake out at the Malfoy Mannor.' Sirius replied, his voice loaded with disdain and anger. 'I saw Bella strolling around, looking happy and satisfied.'

'Forget about her, man... Let's just check on Remus, ok?'

Sirius nodded and the three of them went to see if their friend was alright.

...

After spending a few hours with Remus, Lily and James went back home. The sun was rising and they were incredibly tired. Lily's eyes were bloodshot from crying and James' were widened in fear and perturbation.

'Are you ok?' asked Lily as she saw him sink in the sofa when they reached the louge. He had his head buried in his hands.

'No.' His muffled voice said. 'I'm not.'

She sat next to him and rubbed his back with his left hand, and put her right hand on his thigh.

'Why not?'

'Because, Lily. Because it could've been you!' he exclaimed, looking at her. He was now mad and his eyes was damp. Lily shivered upon seeing his expression and tried to remain calm.

'But it wasn't!'

'What about next time? What if you're in the back or the front and you get attacked? And tortured?'

Lily kneeled in front of him and cupped his face with both hands.

'James, you have got to stop worrying so much about me! I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself!'

He was now crying, obviously fighting a deeply horrifying thought.

'But, you see, I'd die if something were to happen to you, Lily. I can't lose you... The thought of it makes me want to vomit. I just—' he whispered. Lily began to cry as well, and held him, trying to get him to stop crying becayse that was the most sadening thing she'd ever seen. She wanted smiley-James and grinning-James... She didn't want to see him sad.

'Me too.' She said. 'I need you, James, because you are literally everything I have...'

He looked up and kissed her forehead. 'Let's make a pact.'

'What pact?'

'I don't care what Moody says, if you feel anything...' he pointed at the ring. 'you come to me... And if I feel anything, I'll come to you.'

She smiled and nodded. 'We're in this together, then?'

'Yes. Together. Deal?'

'Deal.'

Their wet faces were now smiling as they hugged and kissed.

'I love you, dove.' James said.

'I love you, too, James...' Lily whispered, burying herself in his chest. They both lay there on the sofa until they fell alseep.

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**N/A: Hello! I know this took waaaay too long, but school is kicking my arse right now! Don't worry! I'll still make time for one chapter a week, my flowers! And don't forget my little challenge! Yep. If you can find my favourite line from this chapter, I will give you the chance to name my next story, which is in pre-production fase... Yey! **

**Anyway, thank you for the support and hang around for the next chapter, which will be called – notice how musical I've been lately- 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'! Til then, Marauder-on! **


	41. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

**N/A: Hello, fellow Limers! Unfortunately, none of you have guessed my favourite line of the last chapter, which is kinda bad because that means no one gets the prize... Oh, shame... Anyway, on to good things! Since last chapter was kind of a downer, this one will be more fun and exciting, full of girl talk and male bonding... Plus, you'll find that Hestia is a bit Samantha Jones-y in this one, which is awesome, but nevermind, he-he... Hope you like it! On you go!**

**p.s: I'd like to wish an early happy birthday do GinnyEvans4! Thank you for reading my story and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Have a nice birthday!**

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#41 – Girls Just Wanna Have Fun a.k.a. The Tale of How the Marauders Exploded Sirius' Brand New Cooker

'I'm going to miss you...' James whined as he watched his girlfriend pack her two-day bag for her weekend at Hestia's. Lily smiled at him and shook her head.

'It's not like you'll be lying around doing nothing... I'm sure you and the guys will have plenty to do this weekend.'

'Yeah, but I can't snog them...' he smirked. She threw a pillow at him.

'Keep saying things like that and you won't be snogging me either, Potter.' She replied, and mirrored his smirk.

'You're no fun, Evans...'

Lily closed her bag and smiled satisfied. She then picked it up and left the room, James following. They went down the stairs and into the kitchen, where Mr Potter was reading the Daily Prophet with a frown.

'What's wrong?' asked James, reading the paper over his father's shoulder. 'Merlin! Greyback is on the loose...'

'Who's Greyback?' asked Lily. Mr Potter put the newspaper down and sighed.

'A werewolf.' He explained.

'He's the guy who turned Remus into one.' Added James, his voice drenched with loathing. 'He likes to attack little children.'

Lily gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

'Oh my God!' she said. 'That is awful!'

Mr Potter nodded, then shook his head and smiled weakly.

'I see you have your bag.'

Lily smiled back at him, thankful that he changed the subject.

'Yes, I'll be spending this weekend at Hestia's... We'll have a girl's night out and a slumber party of sorts.' She said, chuckling. 'It should be loads of fun.'

'How wonderful! What about you, son? Any plans?'

James shrugged. 'The Marauders and I are hanging out at Padfoot's...' he said. 'I have no clue as to what we'll be doing, though...'

'Well, I should get going!' Lily said. She gave Mr Potter a kiss on the cheek and James one on the lips, then made her way out to Apparate.

'I should go as well...' James said. 'You take care, ok, Dad?'

'Oh, boy... I know how to take care of myself, James... And Pinky is coming today, so I won't starve.'

James chuckled and gave his father a hug. Then he went up the stairs to get his things and Floo'd himself into Sirius' flat.

The place was a one-bedroom flat with a big louge and an American-style kitchen. James looked around and smiled at his friend's personality spread all over the place. There were band posters everywhere and pictures of motorcycles. He found Remus behind the kitchen counter, getting a glass of water.

'Hey, Moony!' he greeted and Remus smiled at him.

'Hey, Prongs! So, this is Sirius' place, eh?' he replied, with a crooked eyebrow. James chuckled and nodded enthusiastically.

'Couldn't be anyone else's... I mean, he actually has dogs everywhere!'

Remus laughed and moved to the lounge to shake hands with James. 'Only Padfoot could be this self-centered...'

'Hey! Watch your mouth! This is my Castle!' said Sirius, getting out of his bedroom with a grin. 'What's up, mate!' he then hugged James and ruffled his hair. 'Liked the place?'

'Very homey, Pads... Is Wormy coming?'

Sirius shrugged. 'I talked to him, but he said, and I quote, that he had a prior engagement...'

'Wow. Where did he learn the word "prior"?' asked Remus and the three laughed.

James sighed and patted Sirius on the shoulder. 'Be a doll and grab me a Butterbeer, will you?' he smirked. Sirius shoved him and went to the kitchen. He brought back three bottles of Muggle beer and smiled widely.

'This, my friends, is the real deal.'

Remus and James exchanged a look.

'Real deal?' asked Remus suspiciously.

'Yep. Muggle beer. Heineken! Come on! We're adults here, let's live a little!'

'By drinking Heinsberger?'

'Heineken! And yes! Try it! It's awesome!'

James picked up an opened bottle and took a sip. His went went wide and he grinned. 'It's pretty good.' He admitted. 'Try it, Moony!'

'I don't know...'

'Just drink it, Remus!' ordered Sirius impatiently. Remus rolled his eyes and drank the beer. He too smiled and nodded.

'Wow, that tastes better than Firewhiskey!'

'Told'y!' Sirius said smugly. 'So, Prongs, what's your lady doing tonight?'

'Dunno... I reckon she and the girls are going out or something...' he said.

'Hopefully you'll still have a girlfriend by the end of the weekend...' mocked Remus.

'Amusing.' Said James sarcastically while Sirius laughed.

'Still, you gotta be nervous!'

'Why?'

'Well, it's August now and next month is your big anniversary, right?' explained Remus. James' lips broke into a grin as he took another sip of Heineken.

'Yep, it is...' he said happily.

'You do have plans, then?'

'Of course I have plans! The best plans! It'll kick her ass!' James said. 'I'm so getting laid!'

Sirius and Remus laughed.

'What are you going to do?' asked Remus. Sirius stood up and went to get crisps from the kitchen.

'Well, let's just say that _I do_ know she'll love it...' he said, hiniting what he actually meant with that statement. 'We will be _engaging_ in a very romantic activity...'

Sirius ran from the kitchen, dropping the crisps on the way.

'No. Way.' He exclaimed. 'Are you serious?'

'No, you are, but yeah...' James said. Remus and Sirius didn't laugh at the pun, but instead stared at their friend with wide eyes. Remus approached James and patted him on the shoulder.

'So, you are actually doing this?' he asked. 'You are proposing to Lily on your anniversary?'

'Yeah...' James smiled. 'You think it's a bad idea?'

'No!' answered Sirius. 'Not at all You guys are perfect and all... And it's great! How are going to do it?'

'Well, you see...' James started to explain, while the guys sat, listening carefully and smiling at their friend's romantic proposal plan.

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'Hi, darling!' said Hestia after Lily knocked on her door and entered her tiny in West London. It was very girly and very Hestia.

'Hi! Am I the first?'

'No. Emmeline went to buy some drinks!'

'I thought we were going out?' asked Lily, taking off her coat and putting it and her bag in Hestia's bedroom.

'We are! But we need to warm up first, right?' she replied suggestively.

Then there was another knock on the door and Hestia opened it for Mary, who had a backpack and a huge grin.

'Let's take London by storm, bitches!' she said. Lily and Hestia laughed. Emmeline walked in a few moments later, carrying a brown bag that had tequila, vodka and wine in it.

'Wow, what exactly will be warming up for? A fight club?' asked Lily, looking inside of the bag.

'I didn't know what to get, because I don't know any Muggle drinks, so I asked the clerk which were best and he gave me these...' Emmeline explained nonchalantly. The others nodded and Hestia removed the wine from the bag and opened it with her wand. She poured it into four glasses and gave each away.

'Let's toast!'

'To?' asked Mary.

'To being young, single and ready to mingle!' she said.

'I'm not single.' Said Lily, smiling.

'No need to brag, Lily...' mocked Emmeline.

'Toast to amazing friends?' suggested Mary.'

'Yes!'

And so they did and sipped the red wine. Lily flinched before getting used to the taste. Hestia clapped her hands and skipped.

'Shall we get ready, ladies?'

'Where are we going?' asked Mary.

Hestia grinned.

'Well, I got us on the list of The Bag!' she said excitedly.

'YOU'RE KIDDING!' exclaimed Mary, skipping happily. 'OH MY GOD!'

Emmeline and Lily exchanged looks and shrugged.

'What's that?' asked Emmeline finally. Hestia and Mary stared at her incredulously.

'Oh, only the coolest club in London!' Hestia explained sarcastically.

'Ok, then let's put on our outfits and make-up!' said Lily, stadning up and going to Hestia's room to get changed.

...

Once they were all ready, the girls were ready to leave. Hestia wore a red sparkly dress with flashy stilletos. Emmeline wore a pretty lbd with silver sandals. Mary went for a navy catsuit with stilletos and a silver belt. Lily wore a patterned maxidress and purple flats.

They left the flat and took a taxi to the club, all the while talking and having loads of fun. They were already a bit airy because of the wine, but it didn't matter, because they wanted to have fun and, anyway, they had their wands with them.

'Here we are!' said Hestia, moving flamboyantly to where the bouncer stood. Her smirked at the sight of ther excited self and asked for a name. 'Hestia Jones plus three, kind sir!' she said and he let them in.

The place was packed. Glamorous people all around. Beautiful women wearing flashy and clingy catsuits and way-too-mini skirts, with tall platforms on their feet and drinks on their hands. The men looked very glamorous too. There were guys looking like the Sex Pistols, the New York Dolls and Lily could've sworn she saw Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton on the other corner.

As they made their wayt to the bar, the girls got loads of looks from guys and girls, which made Emmeline blush.

'Toto, we are not in Kansas anymore...' said Lily to her, who smiled and laughed.

'I reckon we aren't... This is so... Hectic.'

'I know! Isn't it fabulous?'

'It is! Let's get some drinks!' said Mary.

Hestia linked arms with Lily and picked up her right hand and put it on the bar. The bartender looked at them with a smile.

'Hi, sweetie!' Hestia said to him. 'My friend here is getting married...' she pointed at Lily's ring, which made Lily's eyes go wide as he mouthed "what?" and Hestia chuckled. '... this is her Hen Party, so I was wondering if there's anything you could do for us?' she asked. Emmeline and Mary started to laugh as the bartender grinned.

'Sure! First round on the house, for the bridal party!' he said and they all squealed.

After they got their drinks – a Dirty Martini for Hestia, a Bloody Mary for Mary, a Long Island Ice Tea for Emmeline and a Gin and Tonica for Lily – the girls went to get a stool table and start to warm up before dancing.

'I'm getting married now?' asked Lily, raising an eyebrow.

'What? You wear a ring and you're in a steady relationship, might as well be engaged!' said Hestia. Then K.C. & The Sunshine Band's That's The Way I Like It started to play and Mary squealed again.

'THAT'S MY JAM, GIRL!' she yelled, draggin her girlfriends out of the table and into the dancefloor where they started to move happily to the music, jumping together and singing along.

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'I'm hungry!' announced James.

'Do you want to order something?' asked Sirius.

'Guys, come on! We are adults now! We are independent, and fighting evil! I'm pretty sure we can cook!' said Remus. Sirius and James snorted.

'Yeah, right...' said Sirius. 'Sorry, mate, but we can't cook. Remember the forth year Christmas fiasco at Prongs'?'

James nodded along and smiled as he remembered how they had got muffin batter all over the walls and floor of his house. Peter almost licked it off, he was so guilty. But his mother was really cool about it and laughed it off, however she did make them clean it up.

'We were fourteen then! Come on!' Remus begged. 'It'll be good! We can make something easy!'

'Like what? I don't think I have anything to eat here but crisps and bread, mate...' said Sirius, looking inside his empty fridge.

'Wow, what have you been living off, dude?' asked James, trying to find anything edible inside his cabinets.

'Take out.' Sirius admitted. 'There's an Indian place across the street that makes the best—'

'No! We are making the food! I'll go to the market and buy the supplies.' Remus said, picking up Sirius' keys and leaving. James and Sirius exchanged worried looks.

'This will end in disaster, won't it?'

'Well, let's just say that it's good this isn't a rental, because you are not getting your deposit back.' Said James, still looking at the door, then grinning.

After Remus arrived with a whole range of different kinds of food, the boys stood before the ingredients, staring at it and hoping that they'd turn into something magically. Unfortunately, none of the guys was able to perform cooking magic.

'Pies are easy.' Suggested James. 'And good. We can get a recipe and try that!'

'What, like a mince pie?'

'No, like a treacle tart! They're my favourite!'

Remus rolled his eyes. 'Seriously? Treacle tart?'

'Yes! I'll be more motivated if we make something I like...'

'Fine, let's make the damn tart... Do you have the recipe?' asked Sirius.

'No... But I can summon it.' Said James. And so he did. He accio'd the recipe he knew his mother used to keep in the top left drawer in the kitchen. The paper flew into his hand and he grinned. 'Let's do this!'

Sirius and James were taking care of the pastry, while Remus went for the filling. The former struggled to break the eggs without completely ruining it, and the latter had to leave again to find golden syrup.

When the tart was finally ready to go into the cooker, they all prayed to Merlin's beard and went for it.

However, Sirius was the one to set up the thermostat and it was a wee bit too hot. Of course, that was an understatement, because within the first minute of the tart being in the cooker, it started to make a strange noise as its contents started to boil and melt. The tart exploded the cooker followed, making a loud thud noise, and it stopped.

Sirius was the only one stading in front of the cooker, so he got all black with the carbonated pieces of treacle tart that came inside the oven. He looked back at his friends and glared at them.

'Damn you!' he yelled. Remus and James broke into laughter and Sirius got even madder. 'We could've ordered in, or gone out, but no! We have to cook, Sirius... We must cook and prove our abilities! Well, guess what? We can't cook! We're rubbish! And now my cooker is broken! I hate both of you!'

The two boys were still laughing too hard to pay attention to Sirius' mad speech, so the boy picked up the vulcanic pieces of pie and started to throw them at Remus and James, who ran away, still laughing. And so it began the weirdest food fight the Marauders ever had.

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'It was so much fun!' sang Hestia as the girls entered her little flat after the big night out. They had shoes in hand and were wearing silly happy smiles on their faces. Mary sank in the sofa and sighed.

'I wish we could have this much fun forever!' she said. Emmeline nodded in agreement and joined her.

'I know! It was a blast!'

'Yeah... Especially how we got free stuff on my account!' laughed Lily.

'It was the best hen party ever!' said Hestia, joined them in the louge with a glass of water and an aspirin.

'I can't wait to see what you'll plan for the real one, then...' said Mary and the girls giggled.

'Speaking of which!' Emmeline sat up and smirked. 'Any idea of when he'll be popping the question?'

Lily chuckled nervously. 'We haven't even dated for a whole year...'

'So? He loves you. You love him. Why wait? Frank and Alice didn't and they're happily married!' said Hestia. 'Plus, I just know you're dying to marry James!'

Lily smiled shyly and nodded slightly.

'I suppose I wouldn't mind telling people I'm his wife...' she said. The other three squealed.

'Mrs Potter!' exclaimed Mary. 'Mrs Potter, will your husband be joining us for brunch?' she asked in a posh voice.

'So silly.' Said Lily.

'Oh, Mrs Potter! What a huge diamond! Your husband must really love you!' Hestia joined in, also with a posh – poshER – voice.

Lily giggled and Emmeline started to dance around.

'Look, Lily! I'm in your wedding. Dancing with one of James' distant cousins right before you and he cut the cake!'

'Guys, seriously! Stop...' Lily whined.

'Oh, no way! You don't get to admit you want to marry the guy and impede us from having fun at your expense!' said Hestia, pulling Lily up from her chair and handing her a flower arrangement that was on her coffee table. 'Throw the bouquet!'

Lily laughed ans shrugged. She wanted to join the fun, so she picked up the bouquet and threw back. Hestia picked it up and laughed.

'I'm next!' she said. The girls all laughed and fell on the sofa.

'We are such dorks...' said Emmeline and they all began to laugh again.

'Are we laughing...' began Mary. 'Or is it the booze?'

'Both!' yelled Hestia, standing up and picking the bouquet. 'Which one of you is going to be the Old Maid?'

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**N/A: Hello! What did you think of this one? Fun, right? Anyway, we are approaching the proposal! So excited! Yeeey! Well, please review, as I always ask, it's the button right down there... Easy and simple ^^ Thank you for reading and hopefully you'll like the next one! 'Til then, Marauder-on!**

**P.S: I'm so excited! I read on Empire this week that they'll release a new American Pie movie with the guys from the original trilogy next year! Stiffler! Aaaaah! Ahem, that's one of my guilty pleasures, he-he, along with Sex and the City and Gok... Oh, well... **


	42. James Potter Gets a New Flat

**N/A: Yey, 42! This chapter, young lads and lassies, is the answer to all the questions about Life, the Universe and Everything – now, if you don't understand that reference, I shall be very disappointed and ask you to read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which is the funniest book ever written by the most amazing, hilarious and creative writers of science fiction, Douglas Adams (whose initials go DNA, which made him very proud, he-he)… Anyway! I don't want to drag this along, so I hope you enjoy this chapter… It is NOT what you expected, I am certain, but worry not, for it'll come very very soon. On you go, then… **

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#42 – James Potter gets a flat… And Lily Evans moves in

On that Sunday, James awoke with a headache. A headache and urge to vomit. A headache, urge to vomit and a feeling of numbness on his extremites. James Potter was indeed hungover.

'Fuck.' James muttered as he stood up and went to his bathroom to wash up. He looked in the mirror and saw dark marks under his eyes and his face a bit green. 'Double-fuck.' He muttered again.

He then showered and got dressed, still feeling a bit dizzy as he got down the stairs into the kitchen for breakfast with his father.

'Morning, son!' Mr Potter said excitedly. James covered his ears with his hands and grunted.

'Please, don't yell…' he whined in a whisper. Mr Potter chuckled and nodded.

'Hungover, eh?'

'I wouldn't call it that…'

'What would you call it, then?'

'I'd say I was two shots of Firewhiskey away from becoming a bottle of Firewhiskey and now I'm paying for my ungodly sin by having my mind drenched in the worst headache of the last two millennia.'

Mr Potter laughed out loud at his son's statement, obviously amused by his ability to form such creative sentences while recovering from alcohol poisoning. He folded his newspaper and patted James on the shoulder.

'You never cease to amuse me, son.' He said.

'Glad I am of use…' James grinned and drank his tea, smiling as the warmth spread through his organism. 'Nice…'

'So, how was the weeked with the guys?' asked Mr Potter. James shrugged.

'Well, I suppose I had fun… I remember having fun… At some point… Then it's all a blur.'

'Oh, yeah… I remember those days. Before I married your mother, of course. Those were good times.'

James chuckled. 'Indeed. But I'm pretty sure I lost a few hundred thousand brain cells last night…'

'Eat something, then. You need to recover your strength.'

'Why?' asked James, eating a piece of toast. 'Have you got soething for me to do? Because we invented Wingardium Leviosa so that people didn't have to lift things, Dad…'

'No, nothing for you to do. I do, however, have some news for you and your probably should take them on an empty stomach.'

James raised an eyebrow, but didn't argue. Both Potters finished their breaksfast in silence and then went to the garden – as they often did on Sunday mornings – to play chess and watch how beautiful Elizabeth Potter's lilies and tulips were.

'So, what were those news?' asked James, after he moved his first Pawn.

Mr Potter grinned. 'If you win this, I'll tell you.'

'What? Oh, come on!'

'Nope. Only if you win.'

They fell silent and focused. James frowned his brow and paid close attention as he movied his Knight to get to his father's Bishop. The Pawns were almost all out of the game as James picked up his Rook and a glint of mischief appeared in his eyes.

'Check mate.' He said, confidently. Mr Potter smiled proud and tapped on the table.

'Well, that's it. My little boy is a man.' He announced, standing up and going inside, motioning James to follow him. 'He can even beat his father at chess.'

James chuckled and got up, following his father inside.

'So…?' he asked.

They entered the Library and Mr Potter sat behind his desk, opening a drawer and removing a small box from it.

'This is an overdue graduation present.' He said.

James raised his eyebrow and picked up the little box. He opened it and enclosed there was a key.

'A key? To what?'

'Well, son, I think it's time for you to leave the nest. This is the key to your new flat.'

James' eyes grew wide and his mouth was ajar in shock.

'You're kidding! A flat? You are giving me a flat?'

'Yes. Do you not want it? I can take it ba—'

'No! I want it! Thank you! Merlin, wow! Bloody wow! Thank you!' he began to say in a shrill voice. His father laughed as James went to hug him tightly and kep muttering things he'd do with the place. Then he stopped on his heels and looked back. 'What about Lily?'

Mr Potter shrugged. 'It's your flat. She's your girlfriend. I suppose she could move in, if you'd like, of course…' he said with a smile. James smiled back widely and nodded.

'And you? Are you staying here alone, Dad? I don't like the idea of you being alone…'

His father stood before him and place a loving hand on his shoulder. 'James, as much as I love you, I really would love some time for myself.' He smiled small. 'I can travel and do my own things, without having to worry about you so much… Or the house. And it's time for you to be independent.'

James nodded and hugged his Dad once more, lingering on the embrace a little longer than necessary. Both of them knew that this was it. James was too old to live with his father and it made them both sad.

'I love you, Dad.' James said. Harold Potter cupped his son's face with both hands and kissed him on the forehead, remembering what it was like to hold his little boy, and being proud to see that that little boy grew up to become an honourable and good young man.

'I love you too, son.' He said with a sad smile. 'My little boy grew up.' He whispered.

'That was bound to happen.' Replied James, to which Mr Potter smiled.

'Smartass…' he mocked, shoving his son lightly. 'Well, while you decide what to do, I will go take the cat for a walk.'

'Dad, cats don't go on walks!' said James, eyes wide, internally laughing at the image of his father draggin Sergio throught London on a leash.

'Do they not? But Sergio loves it! I think he think he's a dog!'

James shook his head and smiled, watching as his father left to go 'walk the cat'.

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When Lily arrived on Sunday night, she was right on time for dinner. The redhead passed by the kitchen and saw that Pinky was finishing up with the food.

'Hello, Pinky!' Lily said with a smile.

'Oh, hi, Miss Lily! Pink is just finishing with dinner and she will serve it to the Misters and the Miss in a few minutes.'

'Thank you! Is James upstairs?'

'Yes, Master James retired to his bedroom to read a few hours ago, Miss.'

Lily thanked the little elf again and went upstairs to put away her things and see her boyfriend, whom she deeply missed.

She knocked on his door and felt a shiver run down her spine as she heard his voice say "come in". Lily missed his voice, his smile, his unruly hair… Everything. _It's only been two days, Evans, get yourself together!_ She thought to herself, opening the door and walking in.

Lily found him lying on his back, reading a book while his Muggle record player played music.

'Hi…' she said with a huge smile. He looked up and smiled widely as well, quickly standing up and running towards her.

'Lils!' he said, locking her in a bone-crushing hug and lifting her from the floor. 'I've missed you so much!' he said.

'Me too!' she said, kissing him on the lips. They had missed the taste of each other's lips, the feel and scent of one another's skin and warmth and sense of security that came with the other's presence. After they parted, James took Lily by the hand and sat her on his bed.

'I have massive news!' he said. She raised an eyebrow and crossed her legs.

'What is it?' she asked suspiciously. Last time she broke a massive piece of news for her, she found out he was an illegal Animagus running around with a werewolf every Full Moon. So, no, Lily Evans did not like James' massive news.

'Well, Dad got me a late graduation gift!' he said with a smirk.

'Ok…'

'Guess!'

Lily sighed in annoyance. 'I don't know, James… A unicorn?'

'Why would he—oh, that was a joke! Funny… But no. He got me a flat!'

Her eyes went wide and she stood up, cupping her own cheeks with both hands.

'Oh my God!'

'Yeah! Isn't it awesome?'

'Hm, yeah! It's great! So… You're moving out?' she asked nervously. Lily knew she'd feel weird not living with James. They had literally lived together for the past seven-eight years, for the most part of the year anyways; and the idea of having him away was just… Very strang and saddening.

'No.' he said with a smirk. 'We're moving out. I mean, only if you want, of course… I don't want to force you into—' but before he could finish his sentence, James was strangled by a neck-breaking hug when Lily jumped on him, her eyes glittered with tears.

'Are you serious?' she asked, her voice muffled by his neck.

'No, I'm James!' he joked. 'If you want to live with Sirius…' she slapped him slightly and kissed him full on the lips, then parted with a huge grin.

'Silly!' she said. 'Of course I want to live with you!'

'Good.' He said, then put his hand on his pocket to pick up the little key his father had given him earlier that day. 'Here it is…'

'That's the key.' She said. It was a statement. More than that, it was the key that recognised that that little key held the power to open the doors to their future together. She smiled at it and looked up at her boyfriends hazel eyes. 'That's our key.'

'Our key.' He repeated, kissing her forehead and taking her hand. 'I think Dad's back and dinner should be ready.' He said.

'Where did he go?'

James snorted. 'He went to walk Sergio… Dad reckons the cat thinks he's a dog.'

'Seriously?'

'Indeed, dove.'

'Sometimes I think you two are the same person…' she said, shaking her head. James smirked and they walked to the dinning room.

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The new flat was right by Hyde Park, on Lancaster Gate. It was a lovely place with trees and easy access to shops. It was also near three Underground stations which was good for transportation. Lily was comepletely delighted by the building. It was shaped like a brownstone, but all white and had little flowerbeds on the windows. The doors were also white, like the windows, which were tall and large. The flat had two bedrooms, a huge lounge, a sizeable kitchen and it had a terrace. The place had been furnished by James the week before, when he and Lily went out to buy furniture. They had a three-seater sofa, a matching chair on the corner and a loveseat; oak coffee corner tables and a set for their telly. Their bed was also on the list of purchased, and they really went around to find the perfect one, since it would be their first bed on their first flat together. All in all, the place was beautiful. Lily had taken the care of using a charm to creat flowers so that James could put them everywhere in the flat, and she also made him get a comfy bed for Sergio, who had, according to James, his own little space in the house.

They were moving in on that day so all of their friends had been called to help. James, however, had been the only one to have seen the flat before, so all the others were gobsmacked as they entered the threshold to Lily and James' new home.

'Holy crap on a cracker!' exclaimed Mary, who was carrying a box of the decorations the couple had purchased but not yet had time to put in. 'This is amazing!'

Hestia, Emmeline and Lily walked in awe. Lily took the place in and it brought tears to her eyes, it was so beautiful. Albeit the walls were too white, she loved it. And she could always decorate them with pictures and paintings.

'I am so jealous right now!' smiled Emmeline, putting her box now and hugging Lily. 'Sweetie, this place is amazing!'

'It is, right? Wow!' Lily said. The boys walked in a few moments later, carrying the havier boxes with them. Sirius put his box down and sighed, then he looked around and raised an eyebrow.

'Shit, this place is massive!' he said to Remus, who nodded in agreement and both turned to James, who was smirking in the corner.

'Yes… It is pretty big… Dad is quite extravagant.'

'Wow, I kinda wish I had your father right now…' said Hestia from the kitchen, where the admired the marble countertops. 'I want to marry this kitchen!'

Lily laughed and moved her box into the lounger where she opened it and began to sort everything out with a flick of her wand.

'Why didn't we use the wands to bring the stuff here?' asked Sirius, who was sweaty from all the heavy-lifting.

'Because this is a Muggle building, Sirius…' explained Remus, who joined Lily in the lounge. James followed Hestia to the kitchen with his boxes floating in front of him, and so did Mary.

After the boxes were all in their right places and the proper magic had been done so that the young wizards and witches wouldn't have to do the hard labour by themselves, they all sat on the rug in the middle of the lounge, tired.

'This was a lot of work, I must say.' Said Remus. 'But the place looks great.'

'Thanks, Rem…' said Lily, hugging him by the shoulder. She was sitting between him and Sirius, and had her arms around their necks. 'It's almost time for dinner.'

'How about we have a little warm up party with take-out?' suggested Sirius.

'Are you sure you don't want to bake a pie, Sirius?' asked Mary and they all broke into laughter. The boys went red and Sirius glared at James.

'Y'had to tell your girlfriend!' he hissed and the girls laughed even harder.

'Ok! Cut it out! I'll go get the food… What do you want?' James asked and they all placed their orders – after they managed to breath properly from all the hysterical laughing.

After he returned with their Chinese food and a bottle of wine and one of Champagne, the group gathered around their new dinner table and rose their glasse to toast to their new home.

'To James and Lily, and may their lifes be more than happy in here!' toasted Mary and the others followed.

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Lily Evans woke up to the smell of chocolate pancakes and freshly brewed coffee. She opened her eyes slowly and took in her surroundings. A smile came to her face as she remembered that she was in her new flat. James' side of the bed was empty and she smiled even wider as she remember the night before. The romantic and passionate night they had after their friends left. She got up, put on her robe over her underwear and went to the kitchen, where Lily found James finishing breakfast.

She marvelled at the image of him being so homey. It felt like home seeing him do that, and at that moment she loved him very much.

'Good morning.' She said. He looked up and smiled.

'Hi, dove. Good morning.' He replied, coming closer to her and locking his lips to hers in a tender kiss.

After they parted, she looked around the kitchen.

'I thought you couldn't cook!' she said with a raised eyebrow.

'I can't… But this little book told me all the spells I needed to know!' he said, pointing at _Practical Household Magic_ by Zamira Gulch. Lily snorted and chuckled at the mental image of James queueing at Flourish and Blotts in order to buy that book.

'This all looks delicious…' she said after calming herself down.

'Thanks… I wanted our first morning here to be perfect…' he said.

'Awn, that is very thoughtful, honey…' he kissed him on the cheek and sat down. He sat next to her and smiled.

'Of course being here with you already makes it perfect.' He said with an eyebrow waggle.

Lily sighed and shook her head. 'Would you like some wine with that cheese, Mr Potter?' she asked playfully and he did a faux-laugh and threw a cherry at her. 'What was that for?' she asked, smiling.

'For being bad…' he said suggestively.

'Oh, I don't think the cherry alone will do, sweetie…' she said.

'Do you mind eating cold breakfast?' he asked, looking into her eyes. She shook her head and smiled back. Then James took her hand and they left for their, _their!_, bedroom once again.

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**N/A: WAZZUUUP? Hope you liked this chapter! The next one will be great and I hope you like it as well! As always, please review with comments, criticism, praise (yey!) and/or anything interesting you feel like telling me. My PM inbox is also always open for any of you who have questions about my characters and plot! I will see you very soon! 'Til then, Marauder-on!**


	43. 365 Days of Lily

**N/A: OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD! Controlling my excitement! Ok! I won't take this any further! Oh, also! Forgive me for my French-English… ^^ Enjoooy!**

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#43 – (365) Days of Lily

_ James got down on one knee and Lily's heart skipped a beat. Her palms started to sweat and her eyes began to fill with tears. He reached for something inside his pocket and took it out. A small velvet box. People around them started to notice and a small crowd of elders gathered in a corner. Lily was too stunned to smile or move or do anything. James looked up at her and smiled before he spoke. _

_ 'That's why we're here...' he said. 'So, Lily Evans, will you marry me?'_

...

Lily was pulled from her sleeping bliss by Sergios meows as he hit their bedroom door with his little paws. She sighed and turned around only to find James was sleeping soundly with his mouth ajar and his hair messier than ever. She smiled at his unconscious figure and kissed him on the cheek before getting up to feed her hungry cat.

'You're like an infant, Serg...' she said, opening the door as the cat jumped on her. She caught him and gave him a hug. 'But I love you nonetheless.' She smiled. Then, as if struck by lightining she remembered. 'Oh my God, shit! Shit shit shit shit shit!' she muttered, pacing around the flat, slapping her forehead. She had forgot hers and James' anniversary. One year. On that they they had been together for one whole year and she was a sucky girlfriend and forgot. 'He's going to hate me!' she whined, putting food for her cat and sitting on the kitchen table, then burying her head on her folded arms.

There was a noise coming from the bedroom and it startled her. She jumped from the table and started making breakfast. A few moments later, a sleepy James walked in, rubbing his left eye under his glass with his left hand and with his right, ruffling the messy hair on the back of his head. He smiled at the sight of her and held her from behind, supporting his hands on the counter, cornering her there, while kissing her neck lightly.

'Morning, dove.' He said. Lily smiled and kissed his cheek.

'Good morning, honey... How'd you sleep?'

He shrugged. 'Alright... It's getting cold, though...' he commented, leaving his position and browsing the fridge for juice.

'It is... Do we have duvets?' she asked. He picked up his juice and turned to face her.

'I don't think so... Maybe we could go out today and get one?' he suggested with a smile, pouring his beverage into a glass and returning its container to the refrigerator.

Lily smiled sadly at him in agreement. For a moment there she thought he'd surprise her with an amazing present and a perfect Anniversary Date, but apparently he too had forgot, which was understandable given their move, the war and the Order. Life was so hectic it was hard to remember what you had for breakfast, let alone dates. But still, him being the romantic one, Lily thought he'd remember.

'We should get an awesome duvet!' he said, from his seat on the table, waking Lily from her daze. She looked at him and smiled.

'Why? Can't we just get a regular one?'

'On a regular day, we could... But today is not a regular day...' he said with a grin. He got up and held her hand. 'Happy anniversary, dove.'

Her eyes sparkled with happy tears and she leaned up to kiss him. He had remembered. So he probably had something planned. They parted and she smiled widely.

'Happy anniversary!' she squealed. He chuckled.

'Well, I'm going to take a shower, because we have a busy day today.' He said.

'Do we now?' she asked with a raise eyebrow.

He did his evil laugh while rubbing his hands together.

'Oh, yeah, I have plans... Muahahaha'

'Your evil laugh sucks...' she told him, patting him on the shoulder.

He pouted. 'Oh yeah? Well, your feet are too small!'

They stared at each other for a moment before both broke into laughter.

...

James sat on the sofa with the telly on, waiting for Lily to finish getting ready. She had been there choosing an outfit for the past hour and he was growing impatient, given that his plans were perfectly scheduled. He sighed loudly and began stroking the cat, who purred on the seat next to him. Then he heard a throat clearance behind him and turned, only to find Lily dressed and ready to go. No, no. Lily gorgeously dressed in a striped white and torquoise 50s-style frock with a light yellow cardigan, and blue ballerina flats, her hair was falling from her left shoulder in a somewhat messy braid, and her face was lit up with soft natural make up, and she was ready to go.

He stood up, completely blown away by how beautiful she looked.

'You look absolutely gorgeous.' He whispered.

She giggled softly and put out her hand for him.

'You don't look so bad yourself, Mr Potter.' She said with a playful grin. He had paid attention to how he looked indeed. James wanted that day to be perfect, so he had groomed up extra nice that day. He was wearing grey slacks and a plaid green-brown-and-blue shirt under a dark brown cashmere sweater. James also tamed his hair a bit and it actually looked presentable.

'Thank you...' he blushed. 'Let's go!'

'Where are we going?' she asked, as they left their building and walked amongst the people on the street. She looked up at him and he just winked, telling her with that gesture that she'd know when they got there.

James then led them into an alley and Apparated them in Soho, where the streets were packed with busy shoppers and whole families enjoying the chilly sunny day to have a comfortable Sunday out. He held her hand as they walked amongst the crowd of people. James' thumb lightly stroke Lily's hand and that made her smile.

'Here we are.' He said, pointing at a rather small, and yet comfy and delicious-looking French bistro hidden between two large chain retaurants. James saw Lily smile at him.

'How did you ever find this place?' she asked, as they entered the bistro.

James chuckled. 'I asked Gideon Prewett a few weeks ago about good places to eat, since he knows every, and I literally mean every, restaurant in London. He told me about this place and I loved it when I came to check it out...' he said.

'Well, thank him for me, because I love it too!' Lily said and the waitress appeared and smiled at them.

'_Bonjour_.' She said, sounding genuinely French. 'May I take you to zee seats?' she asked with a cute accent. James and Lily nodded and were led by the young waitress – Jacqueline! – to their table. It was rounded with only two seats and a candle on a bottle. Lily touched the melted wax and smiled.

'How French.' She commented and James nodded.

'Indeed, _mademoiselle_!'

Then Jacqueline appeared again to get their orders. Lily decided to let James choose their food, mainly because she didn't really know what to eat in foreign places, but also because she found that he sounded extremely sexy when speaking French.

'Can I take yourrr orrderrs?' Jacqueline asked with a shy smile. She was chubby and bubbly with curly blonde hair and pale blue eyes. Her nails were bitten and pink as she jotted down the order.

'Ok... I'll have for the entrée les Coquilles St Jacques and she'll be very daring...' he said with a smirk. 'And have les Paté Maison...Then for our main course, I'll have le Boeuf Bourguignon and Lily here will have la Bouillabaisse.' He finished, closing the menu and waiting for Jacqueline to finish writing their order up.

'Grrand. Ans forr les drrinks?' she asked.

'Two Coca-colas, please.' Lily asked with a smile. Jacqueline nodded and smiled.

'I vill be rrighy back vith les Cokes.' She said, then left.

Lily and James had a wonderful time at the bistro. The food was delicious, even if Lily didn't know what it was, and the ambiance was perfect. Edith Piaf was playing, followed by Brigitte Bardot, Yvette Horner and many other delicious French singers and musicians that made the whole place feel like Paris. Between dishes, James held her hand across the table and they talked about everything. Friends, family, life, expectations... When their main course arrived, they dared to order a glass of wine each – wine that would suit their food, of course – and Lily felt like a member of the bourgeois, rather fancy indeed.

''Ow did you like yourrr meel?' Jacqueline asked, before taking away their empty dishes.

'It was absolutely delicious!' replied Lily with a smile. James looked at her lovingly.

'Grrand! Vould you like la dessert orr just les cafe?'

Lily looked at James, who smiled.

'Can we have macarons and two lattés, please?'

'Oui... Vill be rright back.' The waitress said, leaving again only to return with a little basket filled with macarons. They were pink, green, blue, yellow, orange... Lily had always wanted to try them, but never had the chance. She smiled as she tasted one and moaned at how delicious it was.

'Oh, God... It's like everything here was made by angels...' she said 'This taste like what I think rainbows taste like!'

James chuckled and ate one. He nodded in agreement, eyes closed. 'It is very, very good.' He said.

After the coffees and the check, the young couple left the bistro – almost two hours later! – saying goodbye to their bubbly waitress and making their way to part two of the Anniversary Plan.

'Where to now?' she asked.

James cleared his throat and spoke with his best salesman voice.

'Did you ever wonder why you didn't have a stuffed animal of you favourite boyfriend in the world?' he asked.

Lily chuckled. 'What? You're my only boyfriend, duh... And what?'

'What would you do if you had not only one, but two Prongses to snuggled up against every night?' he asked again with his salesman voice.

'James, just say it!'

'Ok, ok... You're no fun! I'm taking you to Hamley's!'

Lily's eyes lit up. She had only been there once with her parents and Petunia when she was nine years old. It was one of the oldest toy stores ever and it had absolutely everything! She remembered how every stuffed animal seemed alive and how all the walls were colourful and all the clerks were happy and smiley.

'Seriously?' she asked, stopping on her heels and smiling widely.

'Yes...? Wow, you look like you're ten again...'

'Oh my God!' she squealed, jumping on his neck and hugging him tightly. James laughed and they parted. He looked at her and kissed her forehead.

'You are adorable, Evans.' He said, pausing a bit after saying her last time and giving her a lopsided smile. 'Let's go, then!'

They stepped into the shop and it was magical. More magical than Hogwarts, Lily thought, because she felt like a child again. James led her to the stuffed animals section where he picked up a little deer with puffy her between its ears. She smiled and held it.

'This is amazing.' She said, looking at the animal, which was so realist and yet a bit cartoonish at the same time. 'You need something too.' She said. Next to the deers, there was a whole shelf filled with pretty does, some with green and some with blue eyes, and long eyeblashes. Lily picked one up. 'I'll get this one for you!' she said excitedly. James nodded.

'Cool! Want something else?' he said. She shook her head, being happy enough just to step there again.

They got in the queue for the cashier, then paid and left the shop, Lily looking back and memorising it.

'I'd only been there once... I was nine. Petunia and I had so much fun.. It was a bit before I started to do magic.' Lily said.

'Was it fun?' James asked, pulling her closer by the waist. She wrapped her arm around his waist and dropped her head slightly against his arm, breathing his scent.

'It was the best! We ran around with Dad, and they bought us each a doll!' she smiled with her eyes closed.

James kissed the top of her head and sighed.

The couple walked around Oxford Street for a bit, enjoying each other's company and laughing at the weird people on the street, then they walked back 'til Waterloo Road, where they went to St James Park.

'Want to have an afternoon tea picnic?' he asked.

'Do I!' Lily exclaimed. She ran to the grass and sat like a child with her legs crossed on the grass, her puffy dress soaring around her. James looked around and, as there was no one looking, he summoned a basket and laid out their tea.

'I feel so Victorian...' Lily commented, sipping her green tea. James nodded.

'True... Did you know that the priests used to hunt stags here?' he said with a smirk.

Lily chuckled.

'How convenient that they'd hunt _stags_ on St _James_ Park...' she smiled.

'I knoow! Huge coincidence!' he laughed. 'This is also the second biggest park in London, following Hyde Park...'

'Next to which we live!' Lily completed with a confident smile. James then pressed his thumb against her foredhead and she stared at him questioningly.

'What was that for?' she asked.

'You get a golden star for being so clever!' he said and she laughed, then shoved him playfully.

After an hour or so of playful banter, hide-and-go-seek, tea, talking and more PDA than Lily would have wished for – "for Merlin's sake, Lily, it's our anniversary, screw the other people!" – they left the park with huge grins on their faces.

'Last stop...' he said, pulling her into an alley.

'Where?' she asked. He did a 'tsc tsc tsc' sound with his mouth and took her hand. They Apparated.

...

When James' feet touched the ground on the side of St. Pancra's Station, his heart started to pound quickly. He looked down at a confused Lily, who observed her surroundings with a raised eyebrow.

'St. Pancra's?' she asked. 'James, I know there's a delicious Italian restaurant in there, but I am full!' she whined. He chuckled and shook his head.

'We're not going in there...' he said. James took her hand and pulled her across the street and into the entrance of King's Cross Station. He felt her hand close tightly against his and knew what she was feeling. All of their good and bad memories from Hogwarts were coming back to them at that moments. They had graduated not more than three months before and there was still lingering nostalgia.

'King's Cross...' she whispered. 'Platform 9 ¾... The Hogwarts Express...' she was muttering, as if it were a mantra or a spell. 'Great Hall, Hogsmeade, Dark Forest, Giant Squid...' James chuckled at that one.

They walked throught the ever-so-present crowd and he was glad she was too busy remembering things to actually pay attention to where he was taking her. When they arrived to the gap between Platforms 9 and 10, he stopped and she soon followed his lead.

'Why did we stop?' she asked, looking around. It was late Sunday afternoon and the station was filled with elderly people walking about, going back hom on trains and coming back from from trains. James stood before Lily and smiled. He pointed at a spot right behind her.

'Right there...' he said and she looked. 'Was where I saw you for the first time.'

Lily looked and smiled. She didn't remember seeing him that day, but then again, the whole idea of walking through a wall to get to another platform between two was already too overwhelming for her 11-year-old self. She looked back at her boyfriend and smiled.

'Yes, you've mentioned it before...'

'You looked so beautiful.' He said. 'And I fell in love with you instantly.'

His voice was shaking and Lily felt he wanted to say more than that, but something was holding him back, so she took his hand and squeezed it, giving him strength to go on. He smiled thankfully.

'For seven years I've loved you... Your hair, your smile, your bad temper...' he chuckled. 'Your voice, your sense of humour, or lack of sometimes, your personality. You. I've loved Lily Evans for seven years now and I still can't believe I've had you with me, as my girlfriend, my love, for one. It's just... Three hundred and sixty-five days of you... Of kissing you and hugging you and being with you... I did the Math... Approximatedly six-thousand two-hundred and five hours of us being us... Give or take...'

'Wow...' she said, surprise, happy, nervous and overwhelmed, just like her first day there on September 1st, 1971. 'What about sleeping time?' she challenged playfully.

He chuckled. 'Nah, I didn't account them... I'm smart, Lily...' he smiled. 'Anyway, those thousands of hours are still not enough, because I still want more... I want more of you and us... I want to be with you forever... Wake up next to you... Raise a family with you...'

James got down on one knee and sighed nervously. He let go of her hand and began looking for the ring in his pocket. He felt the box and took it out. A small crowd of sappy old ladies was forming around them and he saw Lily's tears stream down her face as she realised what he was about to do.

'That's why we're here...' he said, with a much-more-shaky voice and his own tears refusing to co-operate. 'So, Lily Evans, will you marry me?'

He opened the box and his mother's ring shone in the sunset light that came from the skylights on the roof of the station. The whole world froze at that moment. It was just them. James and Lily. He didn't see the old ladies crying and the young girls excited glances. He only saw her face and her smile growing bigger as she pronunced the one word that made him the happiest man on Earth.

'Yes.' She said. 'I will marry you...'

His smile grew even bigger as he stood up and place the ring on her left hand. The small crowd around them cheered and the couple shared a magical moment and wrapped it with a magical kiss. Then they hugged.

'I love you...' she whispered in his ear. He sniffed and smiled.

'Thank you.' He said and they parted, eyes locked on each other, immersed in their bubble of love. James held out his hand and Lily took it.

'Let's go home, honey.' She said softly.

'Yes, Future-Mrs-Potter...' he said and they both chuckled, too happy to care about anything else.

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**N/A: Can you believe they're engaged already? Wow! Anyway, I hope you liked it... Also, I hope I didn't disappoint you with my little King's Cross station proposal – no magical flying ponies and enchanted owls to put the ring on her finger and all that rubbish... Please review if you can, and if you can't, you should sign up, read again and review! ^^ Input is awesome, I also take criticism, questions, suggestions and everything else. My PM box is open and yep, that's it... Another four chapters to go! Saaad T.T 'Til then, Marauder-on!**


	44. Cakes and Dresses

**N/A: Hi-a, Limers! Hope you – those of you who don't review – enjoyed the last chapter! I should tell you that I do have **_**some**_** drama coming, but just a tiny little bit, since there are only four chapters left and I want to end this story on a happy note. Anyway, have fun reading this one and I'll talk to you lot when you reach the bottom… On you go, now. **

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#44 – Cakes and dresses

Lily woke up to smell of freshly grounded coffee and – to her utmost surprise – blueberry muffins. She blinked twice before she recognised her surroundings and, as she rubbed her eye with her left hand, Lily felt her brand new ring. She smiled widely as she remembered the day before. King's Cross. James on one knee. The ring. The beautiful ring he gave her. The redhead stood up, put on her robe and went to the kitchen where she was greeted by the image of her boyf—fiancé, fiancé!, finishing up breakfast, wearing his boxer shorts and mismatched socks.

James had always been a negation kitchen-wise, but now he was actually getting the hang of it, which was nice for Lily, who got up almost every morning to find delicious pancakes and muffins, and, sometimes, he'd even take it to bed for her. God, she loved him. Lily tiptoed slowly until she was behind him, and then she wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his bare back. She felt him shivering under her lips then he turned to catch her lips on his. When they parted, he smiled down at her.

'Good morning, dove.' He said.

'Good morning, sweetie… Thank you for breakfast!'

He smiled even wider and pulled her closer. 'Do I get a present for that?' Lily chuckled sarcastically and shook her head.

'Not today, honey. We have important things to do!'

'Like?'

'Like, hm, I don't know… Start planning our wedding, perhaps?'

'Oh, yeah… Ok.' He let her go and went to the fridge to get some juice. 'I was thinking about dates and stuff… How would you like a Christmas wedding?' he suggested in a small voice. James knew how girls could get while planning weddings and he hopes Lily wouldn't turn into a bridezilla.

Her face lit up. 'That's a wonderful idea! Oh, it would be snowy! And we could have it in the morning!'

James chuckled and sat down. He nodded and began to eat, being followed by his fiancée. 'Yes… Exactly… Anyway, now it's up to you… Girls get crazy on weddings and stuff, so you can plan it…'

'Oh, really...? I hate planning things! And we still have to tell people, remember?'

'Then you can tell the girls, choose a maid of honour and get her to plan it!' James smirked. Lily threw a piece of muffin at him and stuck her tongue out.

'You are so mean! I don't think I can marry you anymore!' she mocked. James pretender to die and fell on the floor, making Lily laugh. 'Stop that! You are a child, James Potter!'

He stood up and kissed her. 'But you love me nonetheless?'

She smiled. 'I love you even more…'

'Want some wine with that cheese, Evans?' Lily slapped him playfully and went back to her coffee.

'Drink your tea, man-child.' He chuckled and did what she said.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

_It's time_, Lily thought as she walked to the little bistro where she was supposed to meet her friends for lunch and tell them about her engagement. She sighed and looked at herself one last time to see if she was ok. She opted for a light-green, lightly flower-patterened strapless sundress with a baby blue cardigan and torquoise ballerina shoes. Lily smiled and walked in, browsing the place for her friends and finding them chatting happily at a window table.

'Hi!' she said, waving at them as she approached their table.

'Hi, sweetie!' Mary stood up and hugged her, so did Hestia and Emmeline.

'So, why this emergency lunch meeting?' asked Hestia after Lily settled and ordered herself a drink.

Lily cleared her throat and sat up straight. 'Ok. I have some news.'

'What? Is everything ok?' asked a concerned Emmeline. Lily nodded and suggestively scratched her nose with her left hand.

'Yes, it's fine…' she said with a smirk. The first one to notice was Hestia, who shrieked and squealed.

'OhmyGod!'

Emmeline and Mary raised eyebrows and exchanged looks. They searched Lily for anything that gave away her news when, at the same time, they spotted the diamond ring. Their eyes went wide and they mimicked Hestia, squealing with excitement.

'Can I assume you're happy then?' asked Lily setting her hand on the table and smiling sweetly at her friends, who nodded forcefully at her.

'When?' asked Hestia.

'Yesterday…' Lily replied with a smile.

'Look at her goofy smile! It must've been amazing!' said Emmeline, shoving her friend lightly. Lily smiled wider and nodded.

'It was perfect! Just… perfect.'

'Awn, sweetie! I'm so so so happy for you!' said Mary.

'Thank you. But, hm, there's more to this lunch than telling you this…' Lily began. Hestia, who was sitting across from her, held both Emmeline's and Mary's hands.

'Ok, guys… This is it. Whatever the outcome is, I'll always love you!'

Mary raised an eyebrow. Emmeline chuckled. The three turned to Lily, who cleared her throat again and smiled.

'Well, I'd liked you all to be my bridesmaids, if you want…' said Lily.

'Yes!' they said in unisson, at which Lily laughed.

'Good!'

'Maid of honour?' asked Mary.

'Hm, yes! Right… So, would _you_ like to be my Maid of Honour?' she asked Mary, whose eyes filled with tears as she nodded. Hestia and Emmeline clapped happily.

'Yey! Congrats, Mary!' said Emmeline.

The waitress then brought their food and tey went silent for a moment. Hestia looked up and smiled widely.

'Date?' she asked. Lily was startled and choked a bit on her drink.

'Hm… Christmas…' she said after calming her throat. Emmeline squealed.

'Awn, so romantic!' she said. 'Morning or evening?'

'Afternoon, of course!' said Mary. 'Much more romantic, right?'

'Yes, I agree! Oh, Lily! We have got to start planning!' said Hestia.

Lily rolled her eyes and nodded. She was really happy with James and really wanted to marry him, but the thought of planning an entire wedding scared her. It was so much work. She'd never be able to do it. She was the least organised person on Earth.

'Plus the guest list! Do you want a big wedding or a small wedding? Who are you going to invite?' Hestia began listing everything she'd need and Mary and Emmeline added as she went. Lily was starting to get a migraine.

'Ok!' she exclaimed. 'I get it! Lots of planning!'

'Oh, you don't want to plan…' chuckled Mary. 'Classic Lily.' She smirked and Lily stuck her tongue out.

'I am not amused!' she said and her friends laughed.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

James and Lily were sitting on the sofa at Mr Potter's lounge. James' father was smiling at them from across the coffee table. The man looked incredibly happy as he drank his tea.

'This is wonderful! I'm so happy for you!' he said.

'Thank you! I'm so glad you're happy!' said Lily. 'I, hm, wanted to ask you for a favour… To which you can say "no", it's no big deal…'

'Of course, darling, go ahead.'

Lily glanced at James who smiled. She turned to his father and cleared her throat.

'I was wondering if we could have the wedding here…' she began. 'It won't be a big wedding and the backyard is so beautiful…'

'What a magnificent idea! Yes! You could have the ceremony in Elizabeth's garden…'

'Are you sure, Dad?'

'Son, I want you two to have the most beautiful wedding in the world! Yes, Lily, you can have it here! We'll have the reception in the house afterwards…'

'Oh, thank you so much!' Lily stood up and went to hug her soon-to-be-father-in-law. She kissed his cheek and smiled. 'You are the best, Mr Potter!'

'Oh, darling… You kids are growing up so fast!' he said with a grin. 'Yesterday I was cleaning this boy's bum and now he's getting married.'

'DAD!'

Mr Potter and Lily laughed as James blushed.

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'This place is so pink.' Stated Emmeline as the girls waited for Lily to try her fourth wedding gown. It'd been three weeks since they had begun planning the wedding – the girls were helping out a lot since Lily would never get anything done without them – and Hestia said the dress was the most important thing and it could not be left for last. So there they were, at a wedding shop, browsing for dresses. It was one of the most exclusive places in London (albeit Lily wanted a simple wedding, Mr Potter had insisted he'd pay for it, and didn't give them a budget) and the dresses were all beautiful and expensive.

'True… At least they have champagne, though…' said Mary and Emmeline raised her glass in agreement.

'Come out, Lils!' said Hestia.

'I'm coming…' Lily walked awkwardly out of the fitting room. She was wearing a princess-style gown with puffy sleeves and a ather long veil. She had a frown on her face as her friends began to laugh. 'Oh, sod off! I hate this dress!'

'Oh, sweetie… Ha!' Mary stood up and walked up to Lily. 'Try this one on… I chose it myself!'

Lily raised an eyebrow, picked the dress and left.

After a few moments, she left the fitting room, and her friends and the clerks stared at her in awe.

'Nice going, Mary…' whispered Hestia. Lily looked at herself and raised an eyebrow.

'So?'

It was an empire-waisted dress with a laced bust and long sleeves. It had a small bow on the back and the hem os the gown fell at her feet.

'Your fiancé will drop dead!' said their helping clerk, Marie.

'Definitely.' Agreed Emmeline. 'You look beautiful, Lily!'

Lily blushed and looked in the mirror. 'It is a pretty dress… I really like it! At least this part of the process is done, right?'

'Hest?' asked Mary and Emmeline. The girls turned to look at Hestia, who was silently sobbing.

'You look absolutely stunning! I mean, with the perfect shoes and make-up, you'll look like a princess!'

Lily smiled and hugged her friend. 'Oh, sweetie… Are you ok?'

'Yes… I'm just overwhelmed by your beauty…' she smiled. 'And the best part is, ladies, that James would genuinely find her this beautiful even wearing a potato sack.'

'So true!' agreed Emmeline. Marie looked stunned.

'Well, then, Lily, darling… Hold on to him…'

'Thank you…' Lily chuckled. 'And I'll take this dress!'

'Marvellous! We'll send you when the adjustments are done!'

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When James arrived home that evening, Lily was sitting on the sofa, looking at a list with a frown. He sat next to her and stared at it as well.

'What is that?' he asked. Lily looked at him and shook her head.

'Our guest list. It's too long.'

James nodded. He picked up the list and read it.

'Hang on… We're not inviting your sister?'

Lily snorted. She stared at him in disbelief. 'No! Why would I? It's not like she invited me to her wedding!'

'Yes, but she's an evil human being with no sould and no heart… You're warm and forgiving… We should invite her… Maybe not her husband, though…'

Lily looked away and shrugged. 'Whatever… She was the one who wanted nothing to do with me… I wish I could invite my big sister to the happiest day of my life, but unfortunately I can't because she'll call it a freak show…'

'Ok, let's just not think about that now…' he kept reading it and stopped abruptly. 'Snape? No… I will not have Snape at my wedding.'

'I was thinking maybe we could—'

'I'm sorry, Lily. He used to be your friend and I respect that. But, no… He's a Death Eater. I do not want him at my house on my wedding day, ruining my happiness. If you get to not invite your sister, I get this.'

Lily nodded. 'Oh, honey, I'm sorry… I just thought—It was stupid. Just forget it…' she turned to him and kissed him. 'I'll think about Petunia, though…'

James smiled and stood. 'I'll go order dinner.'

'Ok…' Lily stared at him as he went bow-headed to the kitchen. She rubbed her neck and called after him.

'Yes?' he turned.

'I love you.' She said. James smiled.

'I love you, too.'

Lily stood and went to him. She looked up and stroked his cheek with her thumb.

'And I don't want to ruin our day.'

James kissed her forehead.

'Lils, as long as you're there, it'll be perfect…'

'Some crackers with your cheese, Potter?' she asked with a smirk. James chuckled.

'You stole my joke!'

'Yes, you invented that joke, James.' She rolled her eyes and shoved him. 'Go get food.'

'Aye, aye, Captain.'

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'Why are we here? Girls are supposed to plan weddings!' said Sirius as he, James and Remus followed Lily and Mary across the streets of London.

'I won't even respond to that incredibly sexist comment.' Said Mary, rolling her eyes.

'It's a surprise.' Said Lily.

'You see, Sirius, Lily is getting tons of people to help her plan this because she hates to plan things…' explained James.

'Clever.' Said Remus. Sirius agreed with a nod.

They stopped a few minutes later in front of a brightly-coloured shop.

'Wanna try some cakes?' Lily and Mary asked in unisson.

'WEDDING CAKE!' celebrated James. 'Awesome!'

The others laughed as they entered the shop and were greeted by a tall blonde clerk with bright blue eyes and a huge smile. His name was Eric and he had a shrill voice.

'Hello!' he said excitedly. 'Welcome to the Cake Shop!'

'Hi, I have an appointment under the name Potter.' Lily said.

'Awn, she's already using your name!' said Sirius and James blushed. Lily rolled her eyes while Remus and Maru faux-squealed.

'Of course! Wedding cakes! Follow me, please.'

Eric took them to a special room for tasting. They sat on a round table and were given menus for different kinds of cakes.

'Look at this! Lemon, strawberry, chocolate! Oh, vanilla and orange!' James read the menu happily. 'This is amazing! I'm dreaming!'

'Yep. The only reason why he proposed was so that he could taste wedding cakes…' said Sirius. Lily chuckled and ran her hand through her fiancé's arm.

'Honey—'

'Yes! There is a cake with honey!'

'No… I mean, you have to calm down… We have all day.'

'Yeah, we do!'

They all rolled their eyes as James began telling Eric which cakes would be great.

'This will be a long day…' said Mary.

'I'm hoping we won't get fat here.' Lily chuckled.

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**N/A: Hi! This was a light-hearted chapter, right? Just a bit of planning… I know it took me too long for this, but I'm hoping to get another one in before I go to London on Thursday… Anyway, please review and Marauder-on!**


	45. The Padfoot Menace

**N/A: I am so very sorry for this horrible delay! I had plans to put something new next week, but my travel plans were too overwhelming and I didn't have the time! Anyway, I deeply apologise and I hope that you can forgive me! Merry Christmas, by the way! I know it way overdue, but it's the intention that counts, right? Oh, well, let's get on with it! On you go!**

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#45 – The Padfoot Menace

Privet Drive was an awfully quiet street. The houses were all the same. Pretencious, obnoxious and judgemental. It was raining lightly that day, which only made it that much worse.

Lily sighed as she contemplated her stranged sister's perfectly groomed garden. Everything around her seemed very alien. The flowers were just as uptight as Petunia, as were the bushes, the trees and, weirdly enough, even the pavement that ran through the street. Even the rain seemed to be shy around such ostentacious surroundings. She rang the doorbell and waited. She knew Petunia would be mad at her for not calling first, but then again, she'd be mad lily was there in the first place anyway. There was some noise on the inside and the door flew open, showing Petunia wearing a very 50s-housewife style frock and curls in her auburn hair. Her long neck was covered with pearls and her brow adopted a frown as soon as she recognised her sister at the door.

'Hell—' she was going to say before her smile turned upside down at the sight of her sister. 'Lily?' she asked in a mixture of fright and disgust.

'Hi.' Lily said simply. She gave a small wave.

'What are you doing here?'Petunia asked in a hiss, stretching her long neck out the threshold and looking around the street to check if they were being observed by any of their gossipy neighbours.

'Good afternoon to you, too, Petunia.' Lily said sarcastically with an eyeroll.

'Oh, don't start with the attitude, Lily.' She looked around again and pulled Lily by the arm. 'Now, come in. I don't want my neighbours seeing think we relate to freaks.'

As Lily was dragged inside, she saw the house that screamed "Petunia". The whole place made her gag, especially the flowery kitche, to where she was taken.

'Are you going to tell me what do you want?' asked Petunia, obviously frazzled by her witch-sister's presence in the house in the absence of her husband. She out the kettle on and leaned on the sink. 'Do you need money or something?'

Lily looked at her in shock. 'No, I do not need money. And even if I did, you'd be the last person I'd ask. James and I are doing perfectly fine.' Lily replied angrily. 'Where's Vermin?'

'Ver_non_!' corrected Petunia. 'He went to pick up some flowers for Marge.' She explained. 'She'll be visiting us for the week.'

Lily rolled her eyes again. Marge was the most despicable human being in the face of the Earth, which was a pretty big deal since she'd met people like the Malfoys, the Blacks and even Vernon himself.

'Did you come all the way here from Freakland to ask me about the whereabouts of my husband?'

'No. Of course not. I came here by the insistance of James. You see, he proposed to me in September and the wedding is in December… He told me it'd be healthy if I invited you.' Lily rambled, never taking her eyes off the floor and sounding incredibly bored and forced.

Petunia's eyes went wide. 'You're getting married.' She stated. 'You and the freak are getting married?'

'Will you stop calling him a freak? Tuney, he's my fiancé and he's incredible – a thousand times better than Vernon, clearly – and he is not a freak!' Lily defended James, regretting agreeing with him and going there in the first place. She hated that house, that neighbourhood and, most of all, she hated that her sister, her only sister, hated her.

Petunia rolled her eyes and drank her cup of tea with pursed lips.

'Are you coming?' asked Lily.

'Vernon would never go to a freak wedding.' Petunia said simply.

'I'm not inviting him, now, am I? Just you. Are you, Petunia Dursley, coming to your sister's wedding?' Lily asked loudly, growing angrier and angrier. 'It'll be at James' father's mansion at dusk. Than a reception afterwards in the main house. There will be food and dancing… And you're my only family left, so I'm asking you to come. I know you didn't want me at your wedding, and I certainly don't really want you at mine, but James asked me to ask you, so here I am…'

How nice of him…' said Petunia with a hint of sarcasm. Her eyes landed on Lily's left hand. She then looked at her own and compared the sized of the rings. Hers was smaller.

Lily followed her glance and wrapped her hand around her finger.

'It was James' mother's… Family engagement ring, you see…' she explained. They fell silent for a moment. 'So are you coming?'

Petunia looked up and her eyes were wet with tears threatening to fall. She shook her head and looked down again. 'I'm sorry, but I can't. I don't… Approve of this life… Nor does Vernon. If I went, I'd hurt him and he's my family now… I know you don't like him, Lily, but I love him.' Petunia gently wiped her eyes and sighed.

Lily nodded and turned around, hiding her own tears. Sheactually had hoped Petunia would agree to come and that they'd be fine. Of course, that would never happen. They were in too deep. Too much hatred, too much fear, too many grudges.

'Alright, then. I guess I'll be leaving now.' Lily said, facing Petunia once more. 'I still love you, though.' She murmured. 'Have a nice life, Tuney.'

Petunia nodded lightly and Lily Apparated out of the kitchen at 4 Privet Drive.

'I love you too, sis…' Petunia whispered, falling on the chair at the kitchen table and giving in to her sobs.

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'He's memorised the whole book, then?' asked Mr Potter as Lily brought him a glass of water in the lounge.

Lily snickered and nodded. 'Yes. And he insists to cook every night. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad. Last week he made a lamb which tasted like charcoal…' she smiled weakly.

Mr Potter's smile faded as he took his futuer-daughter-in-law's expression. She was very pretty that day with loose jeans, a blue blouse and a brown sweater, but her eyes seemed distant and her smile didn't quite reach them. He patted the spot next to him on the sofa and she sat.

'Are you ok, Lily?' he asked. She nodded and looked away. 'You can talk to me…'

Lily looked at him and sighed. 'My sister won't come to the wedding.' She confessed in a mopy voice. Her eyes watered and her hands began to shake. 'I went to ask her but she doesn't want to come. She doesn't want anything to do with me anymore…' A few tears began streaming down her face as she buried it in her hands, shaking her head. Mr Potter embraced her in a fatherly hug and patted the top of her head gently.

'I am deeply sorry, sweetheart.' He said. 'I cannot fathom how horrible that must feel…'

Lily looked up and nodded.

'Yeah…'

'But please don't let it ruin your big day… It's your wedding. You kids are supposed to have fun and celebrate your love.' He said, cupping her face in his hands and giving her a kiss on the forehead. 'You are not alone, Lily.'

Lily looked up at him and sniffed, then scratcher her nose in a child-like manner, smiling weakly and giving him a bear hug.

'Thank you. I know now why James is such an amazing man…' she said, buried in the hug. He smiled and stroked her hair. When they parted, Mr Potter gave her a handkerchief to wipe the tears away. 'Could I ask you something, sir?'

Mr Potter smiled widely. He nodded. 'Of course. Anything, darling.'

Lily cleared her throat and sat up straight.

'Would you give me the pleasure of walking me down the aisle?' she asked, avoiding his eye. Mr Potter's eyes grew wide, just as his smile, and they were filled with tears.

'It would be an honour, Lily.' He said solemnly, taking her hand in his. 'Words cannot describe how happy I am that you and James found each other. The way he feels about you is how I feel about Lizzie.' He said. 'It's an exquisite feeling, is it not?'

Lily giggled. 'I do feel pretty happy… Even though my sister is a bitch and hates my guts…'

Suddenly there was an explosive sound coming from the kitchen and Lily and Mr Potter shared a worried look.

'James?' asked Lily concerned. James came out of the kitchen, stumbling. His hair was an even bigger mess, his glasses were broken and hi was covered in ash. He was coughing.

'Don't worry!' he said in-between coughs. 'I've got it all under control!' he told them, repairing his glasses, grinning lopsidedly and leaving again for the battlefield that had been made of their kitchen.

After he left, Mr Potter and Lily shared another look and fell into laughter.

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Lily had been finishing up with the dishes when she heard a knock on the door. She lifted an eyebrow as she dried her hands and went to answer it. She glanced at the louge to find James and Sergio snoring on the sofa. Lily smiled at the image, picturing how adorable James would be when they eventually had children. He'd play with them, teach them Quidditch and how to misbehave, and Lily would be mad at first, but she would never be able to resist their baby's hazel eyes or shaggy black hair. Chuckling, Lily checked the peephole and sighed.

'Hi, Sirius.' She greeted, opening the door for a smiling Sirius Black, who was followed by Remus and Peter. 'Hi, guys!'

'Hello!' Sirius said excitedly. 'Mind if we steal Prongs for a few hours?'

She raised an eyebrow again and crossed her arms. 'What for?'

'Stag night!' said Peter, receiving two smacks on the head.

'_Surprise _stag night!' hissed Remus. 'And it's just a Marauder reunion sort of thing…'

'Yep. No booze, no exploding cookers, no strippers. Just us mates having a laugh. So, can we?' asked Sirius giving her his best lost-puppy face. Lily tried to look stern but lost it, shaking her head, she let them in.

'Please, return him safely and with all of his limbs attached to his body.' She asked.

'Well, we can promise you the most important one will definitely return safe.' Said Sirius with a suggestive wink, getting a smack in response. 'Bloody ow, Evans!'

'That's for your cheekiness! Anyway, James is taking a nap on the sofa…'

'Wow, he's not even married yet, but it's already boring…' said Remus, smiling. Lily looked at him and smiled back.

'Don't push it, Lupin!' she said. He chuckled and the three boys made their way into the louge to find Sergio purring on top of James' stomach, but fully awake. They all cringed at the sight of the cat, who seemed to smirk at the frightened Marauders. 'Three grown men scared of a little cat… How unreasonable!' she mocked, picking up the cat and leaving the room. 'Have fun!'

They were finally alone with their friend's sleeping figure. Sirius gave it a smirk, looked back at the other two and nodded. They nodded back and Remus produced a pillowcase out of thin air, covering his friend's head with it, then they levitated him out of the flat and Apparated into the night's location.

…

When James came to, he was lying in a cold and wet surface. He adjusted his glasses and stood up, feeling the cold spread. As he looked down, James realised he was only wearing his boxers and, looking around, he noticed he was standing in the Harpies practice field and that there was a broomstick floating a few feet away from him.

'What the f-?'

'Prongs!' said a voice from the loud speakers. James was startled and almost tripped over. He looked around to find the source of the voice, but couldn't. 'You have one hour to find your clothes on the Quidditch field or you will meet your DOOM!' screamed the voice. James rolled his eyes.

'Sirius…' he whispered.

'You must get up on the broom and catch the clothes that will be flying about just like the Snitch!' the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, as James decided to nickname his friend's "scary" voice, yelled. 'You have one hour. Begin!'

'Goddammit.' James muttered, his whole body shivering. He got up on the broom and pushed it upwards, beginning to fly and winicing at the feeling of the cold wind against his bare skin. His abs tightened an the hair on the back of his neck and on his arms and legs were all up. He looked around, searching for his garments in the darkness. James knew he was a fair Seeker, but at night, cold and with no previous practice, he'd definitely take more than an hour to find and catch everything.

When he realised he could just summon them and get it over it, James saw that his friends had taken care of that for him and removed his wand.

'Wankers…' he hissed, suddenly, he saw his T-shirt flying about. 'Ha! Found'y!'

Fifteen minutes of chasing after the T-shirt and he got it. James welcomed the fabric covering his skin with a smile and began searching for his trousers, urging for the same satisfaction for his "under parts", which were definitely not comfortable at the moment.

After spotting his trousers and flying after it for what seemed like the entire duration of the Ice Age, the lights of the stadium were lit and the broom stopped abruptly, amost jerking him off.

'What now?' he asked tiredly, shivering.

'Tsc tsc tsc…' said Sirius from the stands where he stood between Remus and Peter. 'You have failed your task, youn Grasshopper, and now you must pay!'

'I'm freezing!' moaned James. With a flick of a wand, Sirius pulled James to their direction and petrified him.

'Sorry, mate, but the Stag Pranking Night ain't over yet!' he said.

'First step: Quidditch humiliation. Check.' Said Remus with a smirk.

'Plus the cold bonus for the shrinking…' added Peter and the other two nodded.

'Next up: _public _humiliation.' Said Sirius suggestively. James' petrified eyes went wide in terror. 'Sorry, mate, but this is your stag night…

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Lily woke up to find James' side of the bed empty. She sighed, thinking about the stag night. _Hopefully they're still alive_, she thought while getting up and putting on her robe. After making coffee and putting food for the cat, she went to get the newspaper from the front door. The redhead opened the door and gasped at what she saw. She had to bite her lip not to laugh at it, because it would just be too wrong.

Her fiancé sat there, legs crossed, toenails bright red. His hair was in short pigtails and he had a big bow on the top of his head. His shirt was all stained with what seemed to have been eggs and flour and there was lipstick all over his face. Lily approached him and found a note hanging from the bow. She picked it up and read it.

"_Dear Lily-flower, _

_Don't worry, we didn't do anything illegal to him! Just a bit of pranking and food-throwing and clothe-hiding and toenail-polishing in China Town… Quite humiliating, eh? It was hilarious! We had Fabian and Gideon come, and Billius, Kingsley and Frank as well… Anyway, it was basically great to poke fun at the groom. Don't worry, though, he's just sleeping. I'm pretty sure he'll wake up if you slap him real hard. _

_Have a nice morning, Lils._

_With the the LOVE of my GINORMOUS heart,_

_Sirius Black _

_P.S.: His heart is ginormous because he's overcompensating for something else, if you know what I mean (__smirk)__ - __**Remus "**_

Lily laughed at the note and shook her head. She put it in her pocket, deciding she'd definitely place it somewhere in her wedding scrapbook – Emmeline's idea! She then placed her hand on James' shoulder and shook his slightly. It didn't work. She sighed and had an idea.

Kneeling down next to him, Lily got close to his head and whispered in his ear. 'Good morning, sunshine…' she said in a low voice, trying to sound sexy or something. He moved a bit, but still nothing. 'Rats!' she cursed, stading up and picking up the newspaper that had been lying next to him. 'You leave me with no other choice.' She said mournfully. Then Lily smacked the side of his head with the paper and his eyes shot open, as he shrieked with fear.

'AAAAAAAH!' he yelled, curling up into a ball, while hiding from her. 'Please, no more eggs!' he pleaded. Lily snorted and began to laugh. 'Lily? I'm home? Is it over?'

After getting herself together, Lily stood straight and nodded. 'Yes, sweetie… You're safe now. The big bad boys can't hurt you anymore…' she said in a patronising tone, at which he frowned and pouted.

'They told you, didn't they?'

'They didn't tell me you were crying like a little girl…' she sang, then pulled him up. 'How about we get you cleaned up and warmed up?'

'Sounds lovely…' he murmured in a haze. Lily giggled at him and shook her head.

'Did you have fun last night?' she asked.

'No.' he said. 'And now I can't wait for Sirius to get married!'

Lily smiled. 'Why?'

James smiled in triumph. 'Because revenge is a dish best served cold!'

Lily rolled her eyes and pushed him inside. 'Go on, Great Avenger, you smell like a chicken farm.'

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**N/A: Hey-o! Back from Christmas with a weird chapter! This was supposed to be kinda dark, but it turned out quite fun in the end… Yey! Anyway, like always, please review – but do it politely, because I don't respond very well to rudeness and, as some of you might know, I like to write extensive responses… Only two to go! So saaad! Chapter 46 will be up by Sunday, hopefully. 'Til then, Marauder-on!**


	46. A Snowy Wedding

**N/A: Hello, everyone! This is the official last chapter! The next one will be the epilogue! So saaad! I will miss this story so very much! Well, let's leave the sappiness for later and get on with it, shall we? On you go, now...**

**P.S.: HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you who celebrate it, which I do not ^^**

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#46 – A Snowy Wedding

The twenty-fifth of December came earlier than ever that year. The sky was white with clouds that had been emptied of snow the night before. The garden was covered with it: white, fluffy snow. Except for the flowers, they had been kept magicall y to last all year long and not die due to cold or heat.

In his old bedroom, lying facing up and biting on his lip, James Potter was scared. Not of the wedding, of the marriage, of the cerimony, but of making a complete fool of himself and Lily hating him forever. He didn't want to fuck up. He wanted it to be perfect. James knew she'd look beautiful – since, frankly, when did she not? – and knew the bridesmaids had done a good job with everything. The decoration began arriving the morning before and it all looked great! The cake was delicious. The day was shaping up to be quite a good day. There was a knock on his door and James stood up.

'Come in.' He said and Sirius walked in wearing a happy grin.

'Morning, groomy!' he greeted. James smiled back and nodded.

'Good morning, Pads...' he murmured.

'Wedding jitters?' asked Sirius, sitting on the edge of the bed. James shook his head.

'I'm just nervous. Don't want to screw it up, you know?'

Sirius snorted and patted him on the back. 'Dude, you'll do fine! Just don't worry so much! It's Christmas!'

James agreed. It was no good worrying too much about it. He'd be fine. And at 5, he'd be married to Lily Evans. He, James Potter, was getting married to Lily Evans, _the_ Lily Evans with the beautiful green eyes and feisty attitude, at 4:30! She'd be his and he'd be hers. Forever. _Bonded for life_, he thought.

'Have you written your vows?' Sirius asked bringing James back to Earth from his transe.

'Yeah... I don't know if it's good enough, though... And I actually might make something up on the spot...'

'Oh, yeah.' Sirius commented, standing up and going to the door. 'I know how you like to be spontaneous... Just do what feels right, mate.' He then left, leaving a thoughtful James behind.

_What feels right_, James thought, _thing is everything feels right when I'm with her_...

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'GET UP!' Lily's eyes darted open when Hestia began screaming in her ears. The redhead yawned and stood up, frowning.

'What time is it?' she asked, looking around only to find her three dutiful bridesmaids staring right back at her with huge smiles on their faces.

'Ten to ten!' answered Emmeline with a squeal. Lily sighed and buried herself in the cocoon she'd built with her covers.

'Too early. Going back to sleep. Night-night.' She moaned. She then heard Hestia groan and got her sheets and duvet removed from her comfy, warm self. 'Hestia!'

'You have to get up! We have six hours to get ready!'

Lily rolled her eyes as she got up and began putting on her robe. 'i can get ready in ten minutes! What I can't is get sleep! I spent the whole night twisting and turning, couldn't get a decent position to sleep!' she said.

'Nervous?' asked Mary, hugging her friend. Lily shook her head.

'No... I just got so used to sleeping curled up against James and without him the bed is just so cold.'

'Awn, how cute! Well, after tonight, you'll be with him forever!' said Emmeline. 'Now, come, we made breakfast! Plus we got the guys to come hourly to give updates on the location!'

'Wonderful!' said Lily with faux-enthusiasm.

The girls left Lily's bedroom and went to the kitchen, where Sergio seemed to pout.

'What did they do to you, Serg?' Lily asked, picking him with a laugh. The cat was all groomed and fluffed, and even had a tiny bow on its collar. He hissed with his head turned to Hestia. Lily was always impressed by how amazingly clever her cat was, then she remembered he was a magical cat and therefore completely distinc fom the regular Muggle cats her old-lady neighbours had when she was growing up in Surrey.

'He has to look nice. I regret nothing!' Hestia said, glaring at the feline. Lily snorted and let Sergio go.

A few minutes later, when the girls were happily chatting during foaming cups of tea and scones made by Emmeline – which tasted absolutely fantastic – Remus came in through the front door with a grin. Apparently he had a key, Lily observed while watching her friend take a seat next to Mary and eating a scone.

'Morning, ladies.' He said smiling.

'How's everything at the Head Quarters? All going according to my schedule?' asked Mary, the Major Maid of Honour. She had been like a colonel ever since given the job. It was remarkable how she handled catering people and dress people and flower people. _Best person for the job_, Lily thought with a smile.

'Aye aye, Captain!' said Remus, saluting her. She shoved him and chuckled. 'The flowers are in place, the chairs look very girly and wedding-y and James is pissing his trousers, he's so nervous.'

'What is he nervous about?' asked Lily, raising an eyebrow and growing a little scared he'd back out.

Remus chuckled and shrugged. 'He's afraid he'll screw up and you'll all be mad at him.'

'He better _not_, then.' Said Mary. Emmeline and Hestia laughed. Lily glared at them.

'He won't do anything wrong! James will be perfect!' she protested.

The girls laughed and Remus shook his head with a smirk. He finished his second scone and tea, then stood up.

'Well, I've gotta dash. Sirius will be here in an hour for the next update. And maybe something to eat? We'll send James to get food for lunch... Ah, well...' he shrugged.

'Ok. Bye, Remus!' Mary said and he was out the door. Lily looked at where he had been with a smile. He was going to James. Her fiancé. Her future husband. In a few hours, she'd be married to James Potter. She'd be Lily Potter. Lily Potter. That sounded pretty nice. Lily Potter.

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'Oh, man... Oh man!' James was pacing nervously in the louge. He was having a hard time tieing his tie. 'Oh, man!'

'Mate, are you alright?' asked Sirius, joining him. He was wearing a very nice black suit with a dark green tie, just like the one James was trying to tie. 'Having knotting issues?' he asked with a grin. James groaned and jumped nervously.

'Help me!' he squeaked at which Sirius laughed.

'Let me check this...' Sirius then did the tie and James sighed in relief. 'I thought you were an expert in these things...'

'Oh, mate, I'm so nervous it's amazing I haven't forgot how to walk yet.' James said and Sirius chuckled, patting him on the back.

'Just think, when this is all over, you'll be married to Evans.'

'No. I'll be married to Potter.' James winked and they both left the lounge for the altar. It was quarter past four and the guests were all there. 'You have to go for the bridesmaids...' he told Sirius who nodded and left, leaving James alone next to Dumbledore, who was going to minister the wedding.

'Nervous, James?' he asked with that voice that seemed to be millenia old.

'Very much so, sir.' James admited, with a weak smile. 'But good nervous, you know?'

Dumbledore chuckled and nodded. James always thought he looked an awful lot like Santa, especially when he laughed, which was a bit ironic and made James think he'd been a really good boy that year, being able to get such an amazing present: Lily as his wife. 'Happiness does come in the strangest of ways. And being nervous doesn't have to mean something bad.'

'I agree... Dad says he was scared shitless – oh, sorry – when, hm, when he married Mum.'

Another chuckle-nod combo and Dumbledore smiled fondly at the dark-haired boy, no man, standing in front of him. 'Even the wisest get nervous.'

'Indeed.' Said James, but he stopped when suddenly music began to play. He looked at the end of the aisle and Sirius was walking down with Mary. They both had huge grins and she was wearing a pretty dark green dress that matched Sirius' tie. She was carrying a bouquet that had flowers which James could not name, but was pretty nonetheless. They seemed happy and light, and that made James feel less intimidated.

He looked around at their guests. The Longbottoms. Fabian, Gideon and Billius. Marlene with Kingsley. Gwenog was there, too. A few of this father's mates. They had a little less than a hundred people, which was quite a small number, given the amount of families with which the Potters were acquainted. His friends from Hogwarts were happiest, apparently, finally being able to see James marry Lily. _Finally_. James smiled at the thought while he watched Remus and Emmeline enter, both smiling at him, then at each other upon realising probably how unlikely this situations might have seemed only three years before.

It was strange how things happened. One day they were fighting and the other they were together as a couple. Of course, a lot had happened in-between, but it all seemed unimportant now that the wedding was happening. Their beautiful, green-garden-y-themed wedding, decorated with loads of flowers, because Lily loved flowers and because James loved Lily. And he also felt that with the lilies and tulips there, Elizabeth Potter was watching over them, smiling with pride, hopefully, at her son. James smiled as Remus patted him on the back then went to stay behind Sirius. Peter and Hestia were close to him now and butterflies began to fly about in his stomach. Lily was close. He could feel that. As soon as they arrived at the alter, the song changed to Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D. James' jaw dropped.

Lily and his father appeared. Mr Potter looked proud and joyous with his daughter-in-law's arm linked with his. And she looked beautiful. Stunning. Breathtaking. Gorgeous. Angelic. Radiant. Resplendent. Sublime. Dazzling. Pulchritudinous. Divine. And so much like herself. She was wearing a beautiful white gown and her hair fell on her left shoulder like a crimson cascade. She was carrying a bouquet of pink tulips. He then looked at her face and felt his eyes fill with tears as they locked with hers.

She was so happy. She looked so happy. And she was crying as well. Tears of joy. For marrying him. James felt like he could just run up to her and kiss her forever. But Hestia and Mary would kill him if he did. So he waited. A few minutes later, they approached the altar and Mr Potter smiled as he shook his son's hands and handed Lily's arm to him.

'Take good care of her, son.' He said with a smirk and a wink, giving Lily a kiss on the cheek and going to his seat on the first row.

'I will.' James replied with a whisper, taking Lily's hand and squeezing hand to show her how happy he was. Their eyes met and it was like they were stuck in their own little world. Just them, Lily and James, and it was perfect. It seemed ages before anyone spoke.

'Ready?' asked Dumbledore and the couple seemed to realise there were people around them. They turned to face the elder and nodded. 'Ladied and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls...' he began and James was completely focused. Except that he wasn't. Because all he wanted was to kiss Lily, since they hadn't seen each other since the day before when he was kicked out of his own home. When he came to, it was time for the vows and he was supposed to speak first. Dumbledore looked at him with a smile and nodded for him to start. James cleared his throat and took a small piece of parchment from his pocket.

'Ok. Lily, I love you. I've loved you from the first time I saw you and I still cannot believe you agreed to marry me.' Some people chuckled and so did Lily, so he went on. 'We've been through so much together and everyday I know that you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. You saved me from myself, I was an "arrogant toerag" and because of you I grew up.'He heard Sirius snicker behind him and grinned. 'My father once told me you have one moment, the moment when everything is perfect. And this is mine. Being here with you, getting married, bonded for life. I love you, Lily, and I always will. No 'til death do us part rubbish, always as in for all eternity.' He finished and looked up to Lily's teary smile. It was her turn, so she cleared her throat as well and smiled before she spoke.

'James. Oh, James, I've missed you.' She sighed and the guests laughed. 'Hm, if you told me three years ago I'd be getting married to "bloody-Potter" right now, I would have punched you the face, ha-ha. But, yes, I am and I couldn't be happier. You are my family, my friend, my everything, and I've literally never been happier than I am right at this moment. Looking at you with the realisation that in a few minutes we'll be bonded. I love you and I'm so glad you never gave up on me because I don't think I would've survived the last year without you. So thank you for loving me. And I promise I won't stop loving you even after the world has ended and the next big bang happens!' she smirked and he laughed. So she was trying to win the best vow contest? Well, he'd give her that one, since he was getting the honey moon anyway. They looked at Dumbledore, who quickly wiped a tear and motioned his wand.

'Do you, James Potter, take Lily Evans as you wife?' he asked and James nodded forcefully.

'I do.'

'And do you, Lily Evans, take James Potter as your husband?'

'I do.' She said fondly, tears streaming down her face.

'Then I declare you bonded for life.' He raised his wand and sparkled and little stars started to rain from it, on top of the couple, like a silver shower.

'Can I kiss the bride now?' James asked, looking at the elder wizard after the shower was over. Dumbledore chuckled and nodded.

'Yes, you may.'

'Awesome.' James sighed in relief and held Lily closely, then kissed her passionatedly, while everyone else cheered and laughed with happiness for the newly weds.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

'We're married!' Lily said for the hundreth time when she and James were waiting to be called to the main room for their first introduction as Mr and Mrs Potter. 'We're actually married!'

'I know!' agreed James with a squeaky voice. 'You're my wife!'

'And you're my husband!'

James looked at her, admiring how beautiful her face looked with a little bit of smudged mascara on the corner of her eye due to the tears, and unruly hair from the snogging session they had only three minutes previous.

'I love you, Evans.' He said.

'It's Potter, Potter.' She smirked and he grinned, oulling her for another kiss.

'Ahem.' They heard Sirius clear his throat behind them and parted breathless. 'Come on, pervies, I have to introduce you.' He said with a smirk. James and Lily held hands and smirked back.

Sirius then opened the doors and clinked his glass of Champagne to get everyone's attention.

'Ladies and Gents, I'd like to introduce for the first time, Mr and Mrs Potter!' he yelled, and Lily and James entered in the midst of cheers and cries. They looked around and smiled, taking it all in. All the happiness. For them. As a married couple. Forever. James could not be happier. Except that he could. He knew he'd be a thousand times this happy the day he and Lily started their little family. It was all going according to plan.

After that people came to greet them. First Mr Potter. He hugged his son and his daughter-in-law, tearfully.

'That was a tearjerker!' he said, refering to the cerimony. Bride and groom laughed and hugged him again, in a kind of group-hug that got them all a bit shaken. The came the rest of friends and acquaintances.

Twenty minutes later, they were finally able to sit on their table and enjoy being at the reception. At their table sat Sirius, Remus, Peter, Mary, Hestia and Emmeline, so it was just like old times at Hogwarts.

'This feels like school, sitting together for a meal...' said Hestia.

'True!' agreed Mary, laughing. 'By the way, food is delicious!'

'How does it feel being married?' asked Emmeline. James and Lily exchanged a look and shrugged.

'Same...' Lily answered. 'Although I do feel a littke tingly. Like I'm floating a bit or something...'

'That's probably from the silver shower, love.' Said James. 'I feel that, too... It's weird.'

'Is it wet or something?' asked Remus.

'Not wet. Ticklish.' Lily replied, supporting her chin on her hand. 'Isn't it cool that wizards use the shower thing instead of a ring?'

'It does make more sense...' answered Sirius. Everyone looked at him questioningly. 'What? It does! It's literally a life-long bond!'

'He's right, you know...' nodded Hestia in agreement. 'It was such a beautiful wedding, guys!'

Lily stood up and went to hug her. 'And you pretend to be all tough! I saw you cry your eyes out there!'

''Couse I cried! I love you guys!'

'Awn!' said Mary and Emmeline. Remus and Sirius rolled their eyes.

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'Ok, everybody!' said the DJ in charge of the dance floor. The whole reception stopped to look at him. 'It's time for the bride and groom's first dance! Give it up for Lily and James Potter!'

Lily and James stood up and went hand-in-hand to the dance floor where the first chords of 'At Last' by Etta James began to play. James held Lily and they swayed.

At last  
>My love has come along<br>My lonely days are over  
>And life is like a song<p>

'I love you so much, Mrs Potter.' James whispered in her ear as they danced and he felt her shiver under his touch.

'I love you too, Mr Potter.' She said kissing his neck with a smile on her lips.

Oh yeah yeah, at last  
>The skies above are blue<br>My heart was wrapped up in clover  
>The night I looked at you<p>

They parted a few inches and James just looked at her face, memorising every feature. Again. Her red lips, her green eyes, the contrast of the white of her skin with the rosy tone on her cheeks, and he counted her freckles. It all made her seem so Lily, and so his now. He was madly in love with that woman.

And I found a dream that I could speak to  
>A dream that I can call my own<br>I found a thrill to press my cheek to  
>A thrill that I have never known<p>

'Can you believe we're actually married?' she asked in a whisper. He chuckled.

'It all seems to unreal...'

'Like a dream...'

'Nah... This is much better than a dream.' He said, smirking.

'Why do you figure?' she asked raising an eyebrow.

'Well, because when I wake up, I actually get to be with you and be your husband... And I wouldn't trade that for the world.'

'Want some crackers with that cheese?' she asked and they laughed.

Oh yeah yeah, and you smile, you smile  
>Oh, and then the spell was cast<br>And here we are in Heaven  
>For you are mine<p>

At last

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**N/A: This is it! Well, minus the Epilogue, which is coming in a couple of days. Oh my God... I can't believe this is over... **

**I'd like to thank you all for the support and just for reading! It's been an amazing journey and I hope you're able to follow my next story! It's still untitled, but it should be in around the same time as the epilogue. **

**Anyways, thanks to all my faithful readers! You're awesome and I honestly love you all! Thank you! Thank you! Thaaaank you! Millions of hugs and kissed! And Happy 2012! **


	47. Epilogue

**N/A: Officially the last chapter. It's been an amazing journey! Thank you for the support! The new story is called 'Leaves of Grass' and the Prologue should be on in a few hours. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!**

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#47 - Epilogue

It was snowing when Lily opened her eyes that morning. She brushed her hand through her James usually slept and it was empty. That made her wake up fully. She sat up and scratched her green eyes, than browsed the dark bedroom for clues as to where her husband might be at this time. Eight-thirty. Too early. Lily sighed and finally got up, putting on her morning robe and fluffly slipper, and making her way to the kitchen for breakfast.

She gasped.

The kitchen table was all set filled with all kinds of delicious food, coffee, juice, everything! The plates were the fancy ones they had registered for when they got married and the cutelry was all bright and polished. James stood next to it, smiling widely at her, his hair a mess and his eyes sparkly.

'Morning, love.' He said in a rusky voice which Lily atributed to the cold he was the coming down with.

'Good morning, honey! This is beautiful!' she said, running towards him and locking him in a loving hug.

'Merry Christmas...' he said, kissing her ear-lobe. 'And Happy Anniversary, too.'

Lily giggled and kissed him deeply. 'Happy Anniversary, James!'

'Go on, have your breakfast, darling!' he said, sitting her on the table and putting all sorts of good-looking pastry on her plate.

'Did you make all this?' she asked with an eyebrow raised. He chuckled.

'No! Are you crazy? I got it yesterday from that place we like...'

Lily sighed in relief and he threw a piece of bread at her.

'Hey, don't throw things at your wife!' she pouted. James laughed and shook his head.

After breakfast, they went to hang out at the sofa, watching some Christmas special on the telly. Well, James was watching, Lily had a goofy smile on her face as she looked at their Christmas Tree. James looked down at her and knocked on the top of her head.

'Hello, anybody there?' he asked. She shoved him and smiled.

'I'm just thinking you'll absolutely love my present for you!' she said with a smirk.

'You'll love mine more.' He said, defiantly. 'Oh, yeah! We have to open them!'

'You had forgotten until now?' asked Lily, shocked. 'But you never forget Christmas!'

'I guess I had more important things in my mind.' He winked. 'Me first!' he left her there and went to their bedroom, from where he returned holding an envelope. 'Here, happy Christmas!'

'An envelope?' she asked with a raised eyebrow. He motioned for her to open it and she did.

Inside the envelope there was a document. Lily read through it and her jaw dropped after every word, and her eyes filled with tears after she read the signature on the bottom.

'Oh my God!' she exclaimed. 'You got me a house?'

James smiled. 'I've been building it... It's not big, just a cottage in Godric's Hollow, but I thought it would be a nice place to start building a family...' he said and Lily got to her feet and wrapped her arms around his neck.

'This is the best present I've ever got! Thank you! I love you, honey!'

James looked at her fondely and cupped her face with both hands, bringing her close for a kiss. Minutes or years passed when the parted. They were both breathless.

'Now, what did you get me?' he asked, again in a defiant tone.

'Oh, mine's still better.' She said. Lily went to the tree and picked up a little box she'd put there two days before. It was small and rectangular with a golden bow on top of it. 'Here.'

James looked at it suspiciously, then shook it slightly, then undid the bow. He removed the lid and looked inside.

'Holy shit.' He said with the biggest smile in the world. 'You're kidding!' he looked at her and found the same huge smile on her face. 'We're having a baby?' he asked, picking up the pregnancy test inside the box and looking at it closely.

'Sweetie, that's gross...' Lily said with a chuckle.

'I don't care it's pee! It's my baby pee! A baby, Lils! We're having a cute little baby!'

Lily looked at his excitement and began to cry. She was so happy. Everything was perfect. Even with the war and the dangers they put themselves through everyday, coming home to him made her feel joyous and like flying. It was perfect. Just perfect.

'We're having a baby!' she nodded with a smile. James looked at her and his eyes were passionate. He wrapper his arms around her and they kissed.

Minutes later, their clothes were lying on the floor and they had retreated to the bedroom.

Hours later, they laid breathless on the bed. Lily had her arms around James's bare waist and had her head on his cheast. He stroked her shoulder and kissed the top of her head.

'What do you want to name him?' James asked suddely. Lily giggled. They were having a baby! She had found out a few days later, but it felt so much better finally telling him! Sharing this was magical, in the Muggle sense of the world.

'How could you possibly know it's a boy?' she asked. James chuckled.

'Oh, Lils... All first-born Potters are boys. It's just genetics...'

Lily shook her head and rolled her eyes, then shrugged.

'I dunno... Wait! Yes, I do! I know!'

James smiled. 'What?'

'Harry!' she said. 'Harry Potter!'

James looked down on her with both eyebrows raised. He looked choked-up. 'Really?' he asked.

'Yes... Your father was very important to me, and to you, obviously, so I'd like to honour him. Also, I want to name my child after the two bravest, most amazing men I've ever met. So our baby boy will be Harry James Potter.' She said and James smiled wider.

'God, I love you, Lily...'

Lily chuckled and pushed him on the back agains the bed.

'Shut up and kiss me, Potter.' She said and he did.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

**N/A: Thank you for everything! Byeee!**


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